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Letters reveal hostility to school plans

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Criticised: Council leader Jamie Adams

Criticised: Council leader Jamie Adams

THE HERALD has seen correspondence between the Chair of the Tasker Milward and Picton Charity and Council Leader Jamie Adams that casts doubts on the legality of the Council”s revised proposals for the reorganisation of secondary education in mid and north Pembrokeshire.

The letter, dated September 8, takes Cllr Adams to task over the way the Council appears to have prejudged and predetermined the outcome of any fresh consultation.

Speaking to The Herald last Friday, former Council leader Maurice Hughes said: “It seems to me that talking about consultation with us and then telling parents of children in St Davids that their children will be going to Pembrokeshire College after the age of sixteen, gives the game away about just how much consultation and compromise the Education Department has in mind.”

Demonstrating that the Trustees of the Charity are not prepared to back down, Maurice Hughes” letter reads:

“The Trustees have become aware of the revised proposals (discussed at Council Thursday, September 10) and have taken advice on them. In relation to the proposals for Fishguard and St Davids, one recommendation is that post 16 provision should be in a new sixth form centre as part of a formal collaboration between the County Council and Pembrokeshire College.”

It goes on to point out that proceeding with consultation and publication would represent a predetermination of any subsequent proposals affecting Haverfordwest”s schools, rendering them unlawful. “Any consultation document,” the letter continues, “would itself be in breach of a number of provisions of the statutory code.”

Concluding the letter queries just what mutually satisfactory settlement the council is contemplating if it has already decided where the town”s pupils are to be educated after the age of sixteen.

A further missive was sent to all councillors by the Governors of Tasker Milward and Sir Thomas Picton Secondary Schools.

The letter discloses that a meeting took place between Ian Westley, Kate Evans-Hughes and the chairs of the schools” governining bodies.

It continues: “Various ideas were considered in the hope that a compromise solution could be found to suit all parties.

“Site locations were considered but the main sticking point is that we, the Governors, together with the staff, the pupils, and vast numbers of the local population, require to retain choice of education in the area which in effect means a new 11 – 19 year school in Haverfordwest incorporating a 6th form.”

Citing that the original recommendation of the council’s own specialists (Tribal) was that the 6th form should be run through a secondary school on or near a school site, the letter maintains that the reasoning behind the council’s desire to shuffle sixth formers off to Pembrokeshire College is ‘highly suspect’.

In addition, a new strand of debate is developed. The letter suggests that the Council’s long term plan is to shift all of Pembrokeshire’s sixth form provision to the proposed Pembrokeshire College Centre (which would chime with the original aim to put all post-14 education under the College, as revealed by Council Leader Jamie Adams nearly two years ago).

In relation to that prospect the letter points out: ‘The population of Haverfordwest has been particularly vociferous in its opposition to a 6th form centre and we feel that when it actually dawns on the population of south Pembrokeshire that their schools may suffer the same fate, individuals will at last awake’.

Criticising the local authority for seeking to site a new school on the smaller of the two available sites in Haverfordwest, the letter pours scorn on the proposal its authors say they ‘find it incredulous that this site has been chosen for what will in effect be a much larger school than currently exists on its grounds”.

On a final note, councillors are left in no doubt of the strength of the opposition to its plans: ‘We remain vehemently against any funding being routed through Pembrokeshire College, or the pupils being placed on that site.

‘If the Council does not listen to the voice of the people, it will be this Council which will have lost 21st Century funding.”

 

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Crime

Four youths stabbed at Tenby railway station as two arrested

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British Transport Police lead investigation after serious disorder involving group of youths

FOUR youths suffered stab wounds during a major incident at Tenby railway station on Tuesday night (Apr 7), police have confirmed.

Emergency services were called to reports of serious disorder involving a group of youths at around 9:50pm. The Herald was at the scene as a major response unfolded, with at least four ambulances and around 15 police cars and vans sent to the area.

Video circulating on social media appeared to show a number of children involved in a fracas on the railway platform. In footage seen by The Herald, at least one youth could be heard saying he had been stabbed.

In a statement issued shortly after midnight, a Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Dyfed-Powys Police were called to reports of serious disorder involving a group of youths at Tenby train station at approx. 9.50pm this evening (Tuesday, April 7). During the incident, an individual was in possession of a knife, which resulted in four youths sustaining stab wounds.”

Police said all injuries are currently assessed as non-life-threatening and those affected are receiving appropriate medical treatment.

Officers attended the scene promptly and a 16-year-old youth and a 19-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault. Both remain in police custody.

Dyfed-Powys Police said British Transport Police have primacy for the incident and are leading enquiries.

The force added that the incident has now been brought under control and that the scene is secure. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to provide reassurance.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could help the enquiry is asked to contact British Transport Police online, call 0800 40 50 40, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

 

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Major emergency response in Tenby after incident near train station

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Witnesses report injuries as police and ambulance crews remain at scene on Warren Street

POLICE and ambulance crews remain at the scene of a major incident in Tenby tonight.

The incident is understood to have taken place at around 9:30pm on Tuesday (Apr 7) near Tenby railway station. This picture was taken from Warren Street looking towards the station.

Witnesses reported seeing around 15 police cars and vans at the scene, along with multiple ambulances. Emergency vehicles were still arriving as of 10:30pm.

A witness told The Herald that a number of young people were involved and that some people appeared to have been injured following the incident.

There has not yet been any official confirmation from the emergency services about the nature of the injuries or exactly what happened.

However, the scale of the response suggests the incident is serious.

The Herald has contacted the police for comment.

 

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News

White House defends Trump after Herald asks about Iran remarks

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US response fails to answer legal question over threats to bridges, power stations and desalination plants

THE WHITE HOUSE has defended President Donald Trump after The Pembrokeshire Herald asked whether international law would constrain any US military action following his remarks about bombing bridges, power stations and desalination plants in Iran.

In response to a question sent by this newspaper on Friday (Apr 3), a White House Press Office spokeswoman issued a strongly worded statement attacking the Iranian regime, but did not directly address the legal point raised by The Herald.

She said: “The Iranian regime has committed egregious human rights abuses against its own citizens for 47 years, just murdered tens of thousands of protestors in January, and has indiscriminately targeted civilians across the region in order to cause as much death as possible throughout this conflict.

“As President Trump said, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and the Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing.

“The President will always stand with innocent civilians while annihilating the terrorists responsible for threatening our country and the entire world with a nuclear weapon. Greater destruction can be avoided if the regime understands the seriousness of this moment and makes a deal with the United States.”

The Herald had asked whether the President believed international humanitarian law continued to apply in light of protections for civilian infrastructure and facilities essential to civilian survival.

The newspaper also asked the White House to set out the legal basis on which such threats or actions would be considered lawful.

No direct legal justification was provided in the response.

Instead, the White House framed the issue as part of a wider effort to pressure Iran over its nuclear ambitions and its conduct in the region.

The exchange follows President Trump’s public remarks about striking key Iranian infrastructure, which have prompted wider scrutiny over whether such targets would be lawful under the rules of armed conflict.

The White House statement, however, offered no further explanation of how threats against bridges, power stations or desalination plants could be reconciled with international legal protections for civilian sites.

That omission is likely to fuel further questions over the administration’s position, particularly as tensions continue to rise.

 

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