News

Empty promises as election looms

Published

10 years ago

January 29, 2016

A PRESS release from Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies has claimed that in the event the Conservatives are able to form an administration after May’s elections to the Senedd, it will act to return services transferred from Withybush back to the Haverfordwest hospital.

At the same time, Angela Burns, Mr Davies’s fellow shadow front bench spokesperson issued her own release pledging the reopening of Tenby’s Minor Injuries Unit. With elections upon us later this year, a conversation Mr Davies had with local health campaigner David Williams appears to add more flesh to the bones of Mr Davies’s promise to return clinical specialisms to Haverfordwest. On the Save Withybush SCBU page, David Williams recounts a conversation he had with the AM. And the first question alights upon a key point.

Asked whether he has made the statement because the Conservatives haven’t a hope of a being in power after May 16, Mr Davies denies the promise is an empty one. However, as Mr Davies is wellaware, the chances of the Conservatives being in a position to bring such a policy to fruition is mathematically negligible. As a statement of principle, Mr Davies’s words might merit praise as a promise that can be delivered, it is of no consequence at all. And much the same might be said for Ms Burns’s promise to return an MIU to Tenby.

Clinical priorities take second place

Perhaps more seriously, Mr Davies lays himself open to a potential charge of hypocrisy. When asked how he would tackle the clinical priorities expressed by the Wales Deanery – the body responsible for the postgraduate training of doctors and the allocation of junior doctors to hospitals – Mr Davies suggested that clinical expertise would bow to political will. The very sort of coercion alleged by the Conservatives and hospital campaigners against the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay.

Paul Davies is reported to say: “The Welsh Deanery are appointed and funded by Welsh Government, so we will tell them this is what we are going to do so you have to get the people in place to make it happen, as recruitment & training are the deanery responsibilities.” Bearing in mind that one of the primary complaints of the Welsh Conservatives is that the current Welsh Government has failed to listen to clinical concerns, it now appears to be countenancing listening to some clinical concerns but ignoring others to suit its own political agenda.

Drakeford hits back

Criticism of Mr Davies was swift, Mark Drakeford the Welsh Health Minister was quick to draw attention to inconsistencies between what Mr Davies has published and what he and the Secretary of State for Wales have said to the Minister elsewhere. A Welsh Government spokesperson told The Herald: “During a recent meeting with the Minister for Health, Stephen Crabb MP and Paul Davies AM acknowledged that a sustained effort now needs to be made by all stakeholders to change the public narrative around the future of Withybush Hospital.” The spokesperson continued: “These plans are simply not backed up by any clinical evidence whatsoever.

“A review by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health concluded there is no clinical sense in reversing the decision to remove maternity and paediatric services from Withybush Hospital. It found the new arrangements are safe, sustainable in the long-term, have led to improved outcomes for mothers and babies, there is better compliance with professional standards and more women are being cared for in the Hywel Dda area than previously. “The hospital plays – and will continue to play – an important role in the provision of services for people in Pembrokeshire. It will be important for us all to highlight the many steps being taken to strengthen services at Withybush Hospital, and to help the local community understand Withybush’s future is secure.”

Moving the debate on

That viewpoint is as one with the views of The Health Board itself. Chief Executive of the Health Board Steve Moore has made it abundantly clear in a number of public statements that the Board is not considering returning services transferred to Glangwili elsewhere. In an interview with this newspaper last November, Interim Clinical Lead Iain Robertson-Steel said: “For six months clinicians here have been working towards formulating a viable strategy for Withybush’s service delivery … the decision-making process has been clinically-led.”

Following Mr Davies press release, Health Board Chief Executive Steve Moore said: “As a Health Board we are committed to the future of Withybush Hospital and are working hard to improve and develop services in partnership with the people of Pembrokeshire.” On the particular services referred to by Mr Davies, Mr Moore told The Herald: “I know there has been public concern about changes to some women and children’s services, which is why we asked for an independent review by the Royal Colleges. They were clear in their advice to us that there was no clinical sense in reversing the changes and found evidence of improved outcomes for patients.

“We are however continuing our conversation with patients, staff and the general public to make further improvements to the patient experience of care, such as the transport schemes we have put in place and looking closely at family accommodation as we progress with the Phase Two capital project to improve the environment at Glangwili Hospital.” Even though the Conservatives are most unlikely to put public money where Paul Davies’s mouth is, the AM does not appear to have factored in the capital costs already incurred by the Board and what will be done to replace money spent by the Board in pursuit of clinical policies if they are to be displaced by political ones.

Davies pilloried

Plaid Cymru’s Preseli Pembrokeshire candidate for the Senedd elections was withering in his condemnation of Mr Davies. Herald columnist John Osmond, himself a highly visible and long-term campaigner in support of the Hospital, attacked the loss of services from Withybush as ‘deplorable’ and ‘unacceptable’.

Turning his fire on the Conservative AM, said: “Paul Davies is safe in making all the pledges he likes about returning services to Withybush, blithely confident in the knowledge that the Conservatives will be unable to form a government in Cardiff Bay following the next election. They are miles away from forming a majority administration on their own, and the fact is that no-one with any clout would consider working with them in a coalition. As far as forming a government is concerned the Welsh Tory Party is a busted flush.

“On the NHS Paul Davies and the Tories are complete hypocrites. They claim to be standing up to defend public services, and in particular Withybush hospital, when it is their Westminster Government’s ideologically driven public expenditure cuts that are the prime cause of the predicament the NHS finds itself in. They claim to be ring-fencing the NHS but their spending increases are running behind inflation. “Meanwhile, their swingeing cuts to local government budgets means that social services are in crisis and older people are bed blocking the acute hospital sector. Paul Davies should be ashamed of himself for shouting from the side-lines in west Wales while it is his own Home Counties Tory Party that is hitting the people he claims to represent.”

Crime

Milford Haven drug dealing pub boss who boasted of ‘best coke around’ jailed

Published

9 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Dealer who claimed £160,000 profits was later calling police for protection as threats escalated over money he owed to his suppliers

A MILFORD HAVEN drug dealer who bragged he had “the best coke out there” and claimed to have made up to £160,000 in just four months has been jailed for six years.

But behind the image of a confident, high-earning operator, the reality was starkly different — a man in debt, under threat, and repeatedly calling police for protection as his world closed in.

***Police at Marble Hall Road, Milford Haven in 2025, protecting Dan Booth from drug dealers who threatened to kill him*** (Pic : Herald)

The 35-year-old defendant admitted multiple offences relating to the supply of cocaine and cannabis when he appeared before Swansea Crown Court.

The court heard he played a significant role in the supply of Class A and Class B drugs, purchasing large quantities — including claims he was buying cocaine by the kilogram — and maintaining contact with upstream suppliers.

In messages shown to the court, he boasted about his profits, claiming to have made £38,000 and suggesting that far larger sums were within reach. He also claimed to have earned £160,000 in just four months and said he had bought two houses.

He told customers he had “the best coke out there” and responded aggressively to complaints, stating: “Out of £30,000 worth, you’re the only one to complain,” before adding: “Bad mouthing me is a bad idea you little slag.”

***The Vibe pub in Milford Haven is now closed following Dan Booth being jailed for six years***

Violence and intimidation

The court was also shown chilling footage of a confrontation at a property on the Mount Estate, where the defendant was heard directing violence over a debt.

In the video, he shouted: “I got boys, yeah, I got boys,” before telling others to “kick his head in” as the attack unfolded inside the victim’s home.

Witnesses described him as having become a “kingpin” in Milford Haven’s drug scene, operating from The Vibe public house, which they claimed was used as both a legitimate business front and a base linked to drug dealing.

Fear behind the façade

Yet the court heard that behind the bravado, the defendant was living in fear.

He had accumulated drug debts estimated at between £18,000 and £26,000 and was being threatened by those higher up the supply chain. His partner reported people turning up at their home, with threats including claims it would be bombed or burned down.

The Herald attended his home address on multiple occasions to report on police activity after he called officers for protection.

In a direct call to this newspaper during the period, he said: “There are threats to my life — people want me dead, dead. I don’t want this in the paper. It’s over money… hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

Documents reveal further pressure

The Herald can also reveal that the defendant was served with a statutory demand in late 2025 over an alleged unpaid debt relating to stock, fixtures and fittings following his takeover of The Vibe public house in March 2024.

Documents seen by this newspaper indicate the financial pressures he was under extended beyond drug debts.

National attention

The case has already drawn national interest, with Channel 4 making a documentary featuring the defendant after interviewing local people in Milford Haven over recent months.

‘Significant role’ in drug trade

Police arrested the defendant on January 5 last year on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. A search of an address on Priory Road uncovered 18 grams of cannabis, while a separate incident involving a vehicle led to the discovery of 73 grams of cocaine and cannabis.

Prosecutors said he was actively involved in the supply of drugs and purchasing large quantities, describing him as a key player in the local trade.

He has 57 previous convictions, mostly for theft-related offences.

‘Only a custodial sentence’

Defending, Mr Ibrihim described his client’s background as a “tale of woe,” telling the court his father was addicted to heroin and his mother struggled with alcohol. His younger sister died in 2022.

The court heard he had gone “off the rails” in his late teens and that his drug dealing was linked to debts, including those connected to his father. It was also said that many of his claims about wealth were exaggerated and amounted to “bravado”.

Sentencing, the judge said: “The seriousness of this offending means that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.

“You played a significant role in drug dealing. What is clear is that you were dealing with a lot of cocaine.

“I have no doubt that some of what you did was due to pressure, but some of it was for your own gain.”

The judge added that despite the defendant’s claims of wealth, “you haven’t got hardly anything left”.

For the supply of cocaine, he was sentenced to six years in prison, with a concurrent sentence of 30 months for supplying cannabis.

He will serve at least half the sentence in custody before being eligible for release.

A victim surcharge of £228 was also imposed.

Community

Loose horse sparks police response in Pembroke

Published

10 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Animal seen galloping through residential streets and towards main road

POLICE are reportedly tracking a loose horse which strayed into a residential area of Pembroke.

The animal was first spotted in Gatehouse View before making its way onto a nearby main road.

A post on the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock Citizens’ Forum said the horse had left Gatehouse View and was seen heading towards the road by Pembroke Leisure Centre.

The resident wrote: “Anyone recognise it? Police following it.”

The horse was later reported to be galloping down Buttermilk Lane in the direction of Martha’s.

Stray horses are not uncommon in the area. In January, several animals were reported loose around Pembroke and along the A477, particularly near Buttermilk Close and the Cleddau Bridge.

Those incidents created a hazard for motorists, prompting Pembrokeshire County Council to step in and return the animals. Drivers were advised to take extra care and avoid startling them.

international news

Britain exposed: UK has no real shield against long-range Iranian missile threat

Published

10 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Reliance on US interceptors leaves gaps as Iran’s reach grows

BRITAIN would struggle to defend itself against a long-range ballistic missile attack and would instead rely heavily on American systems based in Eastern Europe and at sea — with no guarantee of success.

That is the stark reality emerging after Iran’s attempted strike on a UK–US base at Diego Garcia on Saturday (March 21), a move that caught many world leaders off guard and marked a significant escalation in capability.

***Defence analysts say that its possible for Iran to hit targets of up to 4000 miles away***

Concerns are further heightened by Iran’s development of larger space launch vehicles, including the Simorgh, Zuljanah, Ghaem-100 and Qased systems, which on paper demonstrate ranges of between 2,200 km and up to 6,000 km, with payload capacities of up to 1,000 kg. While these rockets are officially designed to place satellites into orbit rather than deliver warheads, they use the same multi-stage technology and propulsion systems found in long-range ballistic missiles. Defence analysts have long warned that such programmes provide a clear pathway to intercontinental strike capability, raising the prospect that parts of Europe — and potentially even the UK — could fall within reach if these technologies are adapted for military use.

No UK shield over Britain

The UK has no dedicated system to shoot down long-range ballistic missiles over its own territory.

While RAF Fylingdales provides early warning and tracking, it cannot intercept incoming threats. Britain’s air defence network — including RAF jets and ground systems — is designed for aircraft, drones and cruise missiles, not high-speed ballistic weapons.

In simple terms, if a missile were heading toward a target such as Milford Haven’s energy facilities, there is no British-operated system that could reliably stop it at the last moment.

America would have to act

Instead, any interception attempt would fall to the United States.

Key assets include:

Aegis Ashore missile defence bases in Romania and Poland
US Navy warships equipped with SM-3 interceptors
Wider NATO tracking and coordination systems

These systems are capable of striking a missile in space during its midcourse phase, long before it reaches the UK.

But there is a crucial limitation: they can only engage if the missile passes within range of those systems.

If the trajectory falls outside that envelope — or if no US ship is positioned correctly — there may be no interception at all.

A probability, not protection

Even when an intercept is attempted, success is far from certain.

Testing data for the SM-3 system suggests success rates of roughly 50 to 80 per cent per engagement, depending on conditions. In practice, multiple interceptors are often fired at a single target to improve the odds.

That still leaves a significant margin for failure.

In a real-world scenario involving countermeasures, technical faults or multiple missiles, the chances of at least one getting through rise sharply.

Gaps in coverage

The NATO missile defence network is not a continuous shield.

It is a patchwork of coverage zones tied to specific systems:

Romania and Poland provide fixed land-based interception capability
US warships offer flexible but limited coverage depending on deployment

There is no permanent protective umbrella over the UK itself.

If a missile does not pass through one of those defended zones, Britain would effectively be relying on luck and geometry.

Deterrence, not defence

Ultimately, the UK’s primary protection is not interception — it is deterrence.

Any successful strike on British soil would almost certainly trigger a major NATO response, making such an attack extraordinarily risky for any adversary.

But deterrence does not equal defence.

A growing concern

Iran’s attempted long-range strike on Diego Garcia has shifted the debate sharply.

The use of a missile capable of travelling thousands of kilometres surprised many Western leaders, who had not expected Tehran to demonstrate that level of reach in the current crisis. Although one missile failed and another was intercepted, the incident has raised fresh questions about how far Iran’s capabilities have advanced.

For years, the idea of a missile threat to Europe — let alone Britain — was largely theoretical. Now, defence analysts are treating it as a credible future risk, even if capability remains limited today.

The bottom line

The UK can detect a missile, track it, and coordinate a response — but when it comes to actually stopping it, the country would be dependent on American systems operating at distance, with no certainty of success.

If a missile ever did get through, there would be little standing between it and its target.

And that is the uncomfortable truth behind the headlines.