A PEMBROKESHIRE DJ and music producer is celebrating a major career breakthrough after having his new track signed by London dance label Perfect Havoc.

Josh Oughton, 29, who performs as J Flow, will release his new single Another Lie on all major platforms on Friday, July 3.

Josh, who is from Pembrokeshire and still lives locally, began DJing in 2018 and has been performing professionally for the past two years. He has also spent several years learning music production, before deciding to take it seriously over the last two years.

He said Perfect Havoc discovered him after he sent demos directly to the label.

“Having my track signed to Perfect Havoc is a massive achievement in my career,” Josh said. “It gives me the potential to get booked for bigger shows and festivals.”

He described Another Lie as a high-energy dance track with “pure summer vibes”.

“The story behind it is constantly being lied to and me being able to walk away from them lies,” he said.

Josh added that the achievement still has not fully sunk in.

“To me personally, it still doesn’t feel real,” he said. “I never thought I would have got as far as having my music signed to a label, so it means the world to me.”

Perfect Havoc is a London-based dance music label which has released music from a number of high-profile dance artists, including Joel Corry.

Josh said further plans are in the pipeline, although he is not yet able to reveal details.

THE BADGER TRUST has called on the new Welsh Government to publish the scientific evidence behind any move towards wildlife controls as part of Wales’ bovine TB strategy.

The charity says ministers have repeatedly promised to “follow the science” while also leaving open the possibility of future interventions involving wildlife, including badgers.

The row follows recent Senedd exchanges in which Cabinet Minister Llyr Gruffydd said the Government was committed to a “holistic approach” to eradicating bovine TB in Wales, based on science and evidence, and informed by the Technical Advisory Group and the TB Programme Board.

Ministers have not announced a badger cull. However, the issue has become politically sensitive after Plaid Cymru’s manifesto pledged a new approach to bTB which recognises wildlife as a source of infection and enables “scientifically validated control methods”.

Badger Trust says that wording raises questions about whether the new administration is preparing to move away from Wales’ previous policy, which focused mainly on cattle measures, biosecurity, testing and vaccination rather than widespread badger culling.

The charity argues that Wales has already made progress without adopting the large-scale culling programmes seen in England.

Official figures published by the Welsh Government show there were 479 new TB herd incidents in Wales in the 12 months to March 2026, down 23.1% from 623 in the previous 12 months. The number of animals slaughtered for TB control in Wales also fell by 21.1%, from 13,171 to 10,395.

However, the Welsh Government has also acknowledged that the number of cattle slaughtered remains high and that there is “still a long way to go”. A written statement earlier this year said some slaughter figures reflect the use of more sensitive testing aimed at finding infection earlier and reducing the risk of future spread.

Nigel Palmer, chief executive of Badger Trust, said: “Ministers are saying they will follow the science repeatedly to the Senedd. That is welcome.

“But if they are considering a major policy change, the public has a right to know what evidence is driving that discussion.

“The evidence does not demonstrate that badger culling provides a meaningful solution to bovine TB in cattle or would improve on the progress already being made in Wales.

“We understand the devastating impact bovine TB can have on farming families and rural communities. That is why farmers deserve effective solutions based on evidence, not assumptions.

“That means continued investment in cattle measures, including on-farm and off-farm biosecurity, improved testing and vaccination. Farmers and wildlife can be protected by following the evidence.”

The charity also pointed to polling by RSPCA Cymru which, it says, found only 27% of respondents supported badger culling, while 46% opposed it. It said 63% of respondents were uncomfortable with killing badgers and 68% opposed public money being spent on culling programmes.

The debate has intensified since a Senedd exchange on June 10, when Labour MS Vikki Howells asked whether ministers would consider all the science, including evidence which she said showed culling badgers was not the answer.

Responding, Mr Gruffydd said the issue needed to be approached “in an objective manner with a clear head” and said any decision would be based on science, the evidence base, and advice from the Technical Advisory Group, which is looking at TB and wildlife.

Earlier in the same session, Mr Gruffydd said he had already met the TB Programme Board and the Technical Advisory Group, and said a position paper published in March made clear that TB needed to be tackled across livestock, wildlife and other sources of infection.

Farming unions and rural representatives have argued that the current approach has not gone far enough. NFU Cymru backed calls earlier this year for a “step change” in Wales’ bTB eradication strategy, saying the current trajectory was not sufficient to meet the target of Wales becoming officially TB free by 2041.

NFU Cymru president Abi Reader said at the time that while it was encouraging to see new breakdowns falling, the impact on farms under TB restrictions and the number of animals slaughtered could not be ignored.

The Welsh Government has also recently tightened cattle movement rules. From January 2026, cattle in Wales that previously tested as standard interpretation inconclusive reactors and later tested negative at re-test remain restricted to their holding for life. The Welsh Government said scientific evidence showed such animals were three times more likely to become TB reactors than clear-tested cattle.

In the Senedd, ministers have highlighted the Pembrokeshire TB project as a possible model for future work. Mr Gruffydd said he had visited the project and was “inspired” by its local, industry-led approach, involving farmers and vets working together on area-specific responses.

Badger Trust said it accepted the seriousness of bTB for farmers but said any change in policy involving wildlife must be justified by clear evidence.

Mr Palmer added: “Wales has already proved that progress against bovine TB is possible without widespread badger culling.

“If ministers are considering a different approach, they should share and explain the scientific evidence they have to support a change in policy direction.”

The Welsh Government has been asked to comment.

A LEGAL charity has called on the Welsh Government to confirm that boiling lobsters, crabs and other shellfish alive is already illegal under existing Welsh animal welfare law.

The Animal Law Foundation has written to ministers, supported by more than 40 animal welfare organisations and legal experts, urging the Welsh Government to issue formal guidance to restaurants, fishmongers, processors and consumers.

The call comes amid growing scrutiny of how crabs, lobsters and other decapod crustaceans are treated from sea to plate.

The Herald previously reported on a major Crustacean Compassion report which warned of welfare concerns across the shellfish supply chain, including animals being killed without first being humanely stunned, tails being pulled off while conscious, and limbs being removed or damaged.

The issue is particularly sensitive in Wales, where shellfish is both an important coastal industry and a celebrated part of the national food scene.

Welsh crab and lobster feature heavily in local seafood businesses, restaurants and tourism, while Pembrokeshire lobster was recently showcased in the winning menu at the National Chef of Wales 2026 competition.

The Welsh Government is also developing the first Wales-only Crabs and Lobsters Fisheries Management Plan, with consultation expected during 2026.

Campaigners say the latest legal question is not about banning Welsh seafood, but about whether live boiling can continue where less painful killing methods are available.

The Animal Law Foundation says the live boiling of decapod crustaceans, including lobsters and crabs, is incompatible with the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Wales) Regulations 2014.

Those regulations do not specifically name lobsters or crabs, but Schedule 4 says no person involved in the restraint, stunning or killing of an animal may cause, or permit, avoidable pain, distress or suffering. It also requires anyone carrying out those acts to have the necessary knowledge and skill to do so humanely and efficiently.

The charity argues that because lobsters and crabs are now recognised in law as sentient animals capable of feeling pain, and because alternative killing methods are available, boiling them alive while conscious amounts to avoidable suffering.

The call follows a recent move in England, where the UK Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy said guidance would be published clarifying that live boiling is not an acceptable killing method under existing welfare-at-killing requirements.

The Welsh Government is now being asked to take the same position under the Welsh equivalent regulations.

Edie Bowles, executive director of The Animal Law Foundation, said: “Wales has the same legal protections for lobsters and crabs as England, where it is now officially recognised that live boiling is unacceptable under the current law.

“We are asking the new Welsh Government to start off on the right foot and ensure animal protection laws are acknowledged and complied with.

“Every day without this is another day the law continues to be misunderstood and undermined, with animals suffering as a result.

“Lobsters and crabs are sentient animals. Science tells us they feel pain, fear and distress. Being boiled alive while fully conscious can take many agonising minutes, and there is no justification, legal or moral, for allowing this to continue.”

The charity says scientific evidence, including a London School of Economics review commissioned by the UK Government, supports the view that decapod crustaceans are sentient and capable of experiencing pain, distress and fear.

That review helped lead to decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs, including lobsters, crabs and octopuses, being included within the scope of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022.

Campaigners say more humane methods are available, including electrical stunning using specialist equipment, double-spiking for crabs and whole-body splitting for lobsters when carried out by a trained person.

However, the question of whether live boiling is already unlawful in Wales has not yet been formally confirmed by the Welsh Government.

The Welsh Government agreed in January 2025 to work with Defra, the other devolved governments and industry stakeholders on non-statutory guidance on killing lobsters and other decapod crustaceans.

The Herald has asked the Welsh Government whether it accepts the charity’s interpretation of the law, whether it plans to issue guidance, and whether any enforcement action has been taken in Wales. A response will be added when received.