News

No denial on Penally ‘migrant camp’ plan

Published

10 years ago

March 2, 2016

Penally camp: Soon to welcome asylum seekers?

THE HOME OFFICE was neither able to confirm or deny information that had been obtained by The Herald that Penally Training Camp is the subject of a potential change of usage from a training centre for military personnel to a holding centre for up to 1000 migrants who are waiting to be granted asylum in the UK.

The Herald has received information from a senior source within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that the camp is to be used as a reception centre for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, with the hope of housing up to 1000 people at the camp until they are granted asylum and found homes in this, or other areas of the UK.

“The camp is subject to discussions to be turned into a ‘holding centre’ for migrants who are entering the UK. This would be a non-permanent home for the residents and they would be moved on when their applications had been processed.

“I have grave concerns about this, as the camp would require a huge amount of work doing to it to be able to contain these people securely until they are granted asylum.

“In Calais at the moment they are using the ‘Ring of Steel’ that was deployed around the Celtic Manor during the NATO summit in 2014. The current security at Penally is nothing like this.”

When posed the question “Has the Army Training Camp at Penally, Pembrokeshire been subject to discussions or plans as to a change of usage to become a migrant holding centre for up to 1000 people, and if so, when would these changes take place?” the MOD was unable to comment and referred the matter to the Home Office who returned with the reply:

“No decisions have been taken about the future of this site”

The reply neither confirms nor denies that the camp is to change to a reception centre for up to 1000 migrants, and implies that it is under discussion as a potential asylum site.

If it were to be true it would be the largest asylum centre of its kind in the UK. Currently there are 11 immigration centres throughout England and Scotland but none in Wales; Harmondsworth in Middlesex is currently the biggest with a capacity of 615.

In December 2015 the government shelved plans to house up to 1,500 migrants at a huge centre near the village of Littleton-upon-Severn in Gloucestershire after a barrage of complaints from local residents, many of which were worried it could interfere with village life.

In September 2015 David Cameron announced that the UK would accept up to 20,000 refugees from Syria over the next five years saying that the UK had a ‘moral responsibility’ to those living in camps near the border of Syria. Though opposition parties claimed that the UK should do more, with France taking 24,000 refugees over the next two years, attacked the number as being insufficient.

At the time of going to press The Herald was receiving fresh information and will continue to investigate.

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4 Comments

john langford

March 3, 2016 at 11:20 pm

i Drove past the Penally army camp this morning and Mod has just removed the artillery gun and missile from the front gate of the army camp. So they must be changing use of the camp. and there is now a lot of blue rubbish bins been put in to the camp. as a person how has lived in the village all his life, i want to now if the mod is going to compensate the businesses for loss of trade nor merely from the troops how support the village, but for the loss of tourism when people find out the is a camp full of migrant in the village,and as the village is manly older people who will be worried about they safety of there homes. what is the mod going to do to supervise the camp safety,
Lynne Galliford

March 4, 2016 at 2:11 pm

In fact I am not racist at all but as I have nothing against them. What do you know about these people could they be Isis terrorist, rapist pickpockets or murderes, do they have police record etc it what we need to check very carefully. They should have ask us local people first about how we feel about them. As I do know it will effect the area.
TURKS

March 8, 2016 at 12:20 pm

This is where my work will begin…mark my words this can only end very badly for Europe. We will see how crime statistics change in the next few yes along with other significant social statistics.

I will be there video camera in toe…lets see how many of these people are families and how many are young single fit strong males most of which will actually be economic migrants and most likely no more Syrian than I.

And I don’t give a feck if the liberal Arseholes encouraging this insanity want to call me racist….that tactic no longer works. My daughters future and my duty to ensure she inherits a safe place to live with an open and tolerant society, able to enjoy the customs and traditions I was lucky to experience far out ways any fears of liberal attacks of being called racist.

Although I’m not quite sure when Islam was declared a race
NIMBY

March 18, 2016 at 10:06 am

@ TURKS:
typical small village mentality. no sense of sympathy or compassion for a fellow human being.

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

12 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

12 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

12 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.