News

BBC apologises for misleading article – after facts are corrected, the ‘scandal’ disappears

Published

7 months ago

December 5, 2025

FOR six years a narrative has persisted online: “Herald newspaper editor owes £70,000”, “defies court orders”, “treats staff appallingly”. On 4 December 2025, the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit finally ruled that the central allegation underpinning that narrative — that the editor personally owed £70,000 in unpaid debts — was inaccurate and breached the corporation’s standards of due accuracy.

***Tom Sinclair with his apology letter from the BBC***

The BBC has now apologised, amended the headline, and corrected the article.

And with that correction, the supposed “scandal” disappears.

What remains is not a tale of a serial debtor or a rogue employer but something far more mundane: a young entrepreneur who ran printing companies with his late father before 2011, closed or sold them in the ordinary way, and later launched a fast-growing but cash-tight local newspaper group in 2013 that hit a crunch point in 2019, paid everyone in the end, and was ultimately stabilised with outside investment.

When placed in proper chronological and factual context, there is simply no misconduct story left to tell.

The BBC article that refused to die

The original BBC Wales article (March 2019) appeared under the headline:

“Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts.”

It stated that Sinclair, who “runs The Herald in west Wales”, had “defied court orders to repay more than £70,000 to creditors”.

The phrasing implied:

that the debt was personal,
that the liabilities were recent,
and that they were connected to the Herald newspapers.

None of this was true.

Fraser Steel, Head of the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit, wrote on 4 December 2025:

“…the wording of the headline and the first line of the report… could allow a reader to form the impression that the debt was your personal liability… Accordingly, the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy in that respect.”

The BBC apologised and amended the headline to:

“Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair’s group has £70,000 debts.”

Even this corrected headline encourages a casual reader — or an AI system scraping for summary — to assume that the Herald group itself owed £70,000 in unsatisfied judgments in 2019.

It did not.

Where the £70,000 figure really came from — and why it had nothing to do with the Herald

The number traces back to a June 2017 blog post by freelance journalist Gareth Davies. Davies aggregated almost £120,000 of historic County Court Judgments from a variety of dissolved companies — nearly all of them pre-2013 printing or magazine ventures that were long closed before the Pembrokeshire Herald even existed.

Key points:

The largest sums (£76,973 + £13,667) related to Megaprinter companies, wound down or sold years earlier, some jointly with the editor’s late father (same name).
Pembrokeshire’s Best Ltd (£15,000+) never traded properly; its co-director dissolved it without opening a bank account.
A scattering of very small CCJs related to companies that never commenced operations (“for all I know a parking ticket,” Sinclair wrote in 2017).

On 6 June 2017, Davies sent Sinclair a detailed list of the judgments. Sinclair replied the same day, explaining each company, stating clearly:

“I do not personally owe anyone any money,”

and noting that none of the listed CCJs related to the Herald newspapers.

Davies published his piece the following day, presenting the old dissolved-company CCJs as evidence of a pattern of evasion by the man now running a new newspaper group. Many industry observers noted the timing: the post appeared the very week the Ceredigion Herald was launching on the Cambrian News patch.

Two years later, in the middle of the Herald’s genuine 2019 cash-flow difficulties, BBC Wales revived the Davies narrative almost wholesale. No fresh verification appears to have been undertaken. The same £70,000+ figure resurfaced, this time expressed as if it were recent, active, and relevant to Herald operations.

Strip out the misattributed pre-2013 printing-company CCJs and what debt was outstanding in 2019?

A few thousand pounds in short-term wage arrears caused by a cash-flow crunch — all later paid in full.

That is all.

In journalistic terms: a non-story. Cash-flow wobbles happen to small newspapers every year; almost none of them make national headlines.

The real 2019 Herald crisis — and how it ended

Early 2019 was undeniably difficult:

over-expansion without sufficient working capital;
delayed wages (weeks, not months);
one operating company wound up in February 2019;
legitimate frustrations among staff and freelancers.

But by late 2019:

a six-figure investment from Rigographic España stabilised the business;
every staff member and freelancer was paid in full;
The Pembrokeshire Herald returned to weekly print;
sister titles moved to a digital-first model;
by 2025 the Herald network reached 34 million Facebook views per quarter and over 4 million annual pageviews.

In other words: a messy but fairly typical small-business near-death experience, followed by recovery and growth.

When the timeline is restored, nothing about this amounts to a scandal.

Why the corrected article still distorts the record in 2025

Even after the amendment and apology, the BBC article remains online and highly ranked. Most readers — and most AI summarisation tools — skim only the headline.

They see:

“…group has £70,000 debts”

and conclude that the Herald newspapers owed £70,000 in 2019.

They did not.

That is why Sinclair has asked the BBC for one final, modest addition: an editorial note clarifying that the historic CCJs referenced were unrelated to the Herald group, pre-dated it by years, and concerned companies that had ceased trading long before.

Once that simple clarification is added, the entire “debt scandal” narrative collapses.

There is nothing left except a local editor who made business mistakes, learned from them, paid everyone, and kept a community newspaper alive during an era when hundreds of titles have closed.

The wider lesson

This saga is a case study in how a misleading impression published by a trusted outlet can outlive the facts for years — amplified by search engines and by AI systems that prioritise authority over nuance.

It also demonstrates why accuracy standards matter: once the companies are correctly identified, the timeline is respected, and personal/corporate liability is properly distinguished, the lurid “£70,000 scandal” dissolves into something entirely ordinary.

The BBC has now acknowledged its error and apologised. With the full 2017 email exchange and the ECU decision published today on Herald.Wales, the record is finally straight.

There never was a £70,000 personal debt.
There never was a £70,000 Herald debt.
There never was a scandal.

Just a local newspaper that refused to die — and an editor who refused to let the record stay wrong.

Community

The gentle giant behind the tattoos

Published

60 minutes ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Pembrokeshire security worker Josh Davies praised for professionalism, kindness and proving first impressions can be wrong

JOSH Davies is hard to miss.

With tattoos across his head, face, neck and hands, he is the kind of man people notice before they know anything about him.

But those who know him, work with him, or have simply crossed paths with him after a long night on duty, tell a very different story.

They describe him as a gentleman. A grafter. A man with a big heart. Someone who would do anything to help another person.

Now Josh, who completed his Door Supervisor course with RM Training and Security Solutions last year, is being praised for the way he has built a career in the security industry and become a valued member of the team.

The Pembrokeshire-based company said Josh had gone “from strength to strength” since gaining his licence, working across licensed venues, events, customer-facing roles, response duties and other security work.

A spokesperson for RM Training and Security Solutions said: “From day one, Josh showed a natural ability for the security industry.

“Since gaining his licence, he has thrown himself into every opportunity presented to him, working across a variety of roles including licensed venues, events, customer-facing positions, response duties, and much more.

“There genuinely seems to be nothing Josh cannot turn his hand to. His willingness to learn, adaptability, reliability, and positive attitude have made him a valued member of the RM team.”

But it is not only his employers who have noticed.

After RM Training shared Josh’s success story online, dozens of people came forward to praise him, with many saying his appearance should never be mistaken for the man underneath.

One woman said she had met Josh on a Sunday morning after he had finished a night shift.

She said: “He was an absolute gentleman. Someone you would say from first impression of meeting, nice guy, good guy.”

Another person, who said she had known Josh since he was young and treated him like a son, said: “I can’t thank him enough for what he has done for me in my life. He is one in a million.

“People look at him like a big boy, but he has got a heart and he will do anything to help anyone.”

Others described him as a “great bloke”, “absolute gentleman”, “sound bloke”, and someone who was “built to be a doorman”.

In an industry where first impressions, calm judgement and public confidence matter, RM Training said Josh’s professionalism had become one of his strongest qualities.

The company added: “What stands out most is his professionalism. Whether dealing with members of the public, clients, colleagues, or challenging situations, Josh consistently demonstrates the highest standards expected within our industry.

“He represents both himself and RM Training & Security Solutions exceptionally well at all times.

“We are incredibly proud to have Josh as part of the team and look forward to watching his continued growth and success within the security industry.”

Security staff are often seen only when something goes wrong, but much of the work involves preventing problems before they happen, reassuring the public, supporting event organisers, and knowing how to deal with difficult situations calmly.

Josh’s story has struck a chord because it challenges the quick assumptions people can make.

To some, the tattoos may be the first thing they see.

To those who know him, they are simply part of a man who has worked hard, taken his chance, and earned respect through his attitude and actions.

One supporter summed it up simply: “Life loves a grafter.”

Photo caption:

Josh Davies has been praised by RM Training and Security Solutions and members of the public for his professionalism and kindness (Pics: DarthMartyMedia).

News

150 years of Mothers’ Union marked at St Davids Cathedral

Published

4 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SPECIAL service has been held at St Davids Cathedral to celebrate 150 years of the Mothers’ Union.

Members and officials gathered for the anniversary celebration on Sunday (Jun 21), where Bishop Dorrien welcomed those attending and spent time speaking with the Provincial Chaplain.

The occasion had particular significance for Bishop Dorrien, who is the third generation of his family to be a member of the Mothers’ Union.

The organisation, founded in 1876, continues to support families, communities and church life across Wales and around the world.

Those attending said the celebration was a fitting tribute to the work of generations of members, with hopes expressed for the next 150 years.

Caption:

Celebration: Members and officials gathered at St Davids Cathedral to mark 150 years of the Mothers’ Union (Pic: Diocese of St Davids).

Entertainment

Harbour Fest to bring music, food and maritime magic to Milford Waterfront

Published

4 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Free family festival will celebrate Milford Haven’s seafaring history and coastal community

MILFORD WATERFRONT will burst into life on Saturday, June 27, as the first Harbour Fest sails into town for a day of music, food, family fun and maritime celebration.

The free event will run from 10:00am to 6:00pm at Mackerel Quay and across the waterfront, bringing together local traders, live entertainment, coastal organisations and independent businesses for a packed day beside the water.

Organisers say the festival will celebrate everything that makes Milford Haven special, from its seafaring history and working harbour to its growing reputation as a destination for food, shopping, culture and family days out.

Visitors will be able to browse stalls from local makers and producers, enjoy street food and live performances, and explore a Marine Zone featuring organisations involved in sea safety, marine conservation and coastal life.

The Marine Zone will include Seagrass Network Cymru / Project Seagrass, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Dyfed-Powys Police, NCI Wooltack Point, Rudders Marine Training, RNLI Milford Haven and RNLI Angle Lifeboat.

RNLI Angle Lifeboat is expected to be based on the Mackerel Stage, while the Sea Cadets will be giving rope-tying displays at Milford Haven Museum, where craft activities will also be taking place.

Live entertainment will run throughout the day, with performances from Tom & Abz, Will Scott, Ryan Bristow, Milford Haven Town Band, Kyle Kirkhouse and ShantyJacs Sea Shanties.

Businesses across the waterfront are also joining in. All Pets Vet Care will hold a family-friendly open day with a bouncy castle, treasure hunts, quizzes, craft activities and behind-the-scenes tours. Aurora Artisan Crafts will host vocal performances, Biffy’s Bar & Restaurant will feature solo acoustic music from Laurence Lewis, and Martha’s Vineyard will offer seafood street food with live music from Ryan Bristow and Steve Bartram.

At Tŷ Milford Waterfront’s outdoor plaza there will be face painting, children’s activities, pop-up artists and an afternoon DJ set, while Phoenix Bowl and Pirate Pete’s Adventure Play will have inflatables and glitter tattoos outside.

The Waterfront Gallery will host introduction to felt-making workshops with textile artist Carole Fletcher, giving participants the chance to create a woollen felt flower pin brooch or phone/glasses case. The workshops start at 10:30am, 1:00pm and 3:30pm and cost £5 per person.

A wide range of traders will also be attending, including 5th Flock Spirits Co, Cinnamon Grove Distillery, Cwm Deri Wines & Liqueurs, Ferncraft, Get Loaded, J.J. Pottery, Major Nuts, Orange Garden Design, Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, Pembrokeshire Gold, Pembrokeshire Lottery, Plumstone Welshcakes and SlateArtSJ.

With music drifting across the marina, food stalls lining the waterfront and lifeboats, sea safety teams and coastal groups adding a strong maritime flavour, Harbour Fest is expected to bring a lively summer atmosphere to one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known waterside destinations.