News
Petition for paediatric services handed in at Senedd
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A PETITION calling for services to be returned to Withybush hospital has been handed in at the Senedd today.
Hospital campaigner and activist Myles Bamford-Lewis handed in the petition, which had 20,557 signatures, to local AMs Paul Davies and Simon Thomas.
The petition called for Health Minister Mark Drakeford to return 24 hour paediatric services to Withybush Hospital.
Chief Executive Steve Moore said: “We acknowledge this petition, and clearly we still have a significant challenge ahead in demonstrating to the Pembrokeshire public the safety of the services we provide our children from both Withybush and Glangwili hospitals.“The majority of healthcare for children is still provided in Pembrokeshire, through our GP services, including out-of-hours; the Paediatric Ambulatory Care Unit (PACU) at Withybush Hospital, which is open every day of the week from 10am to 10pm; and through provision of minor injury care for children from Withybush Emergency and Urgent Care Centre, 24 hours a day. For example, in recent months, approximately 76 per cent of emergency attendances to the PACU at Withybush were seen and treated there and children discharged home, and 24 per cent were transferred elsewhere, the vast majority to Glangwili Hospital. A recent independent expert report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health concluded changes were safe and sustainable, with improved compliance with national and professional service standards and no evidence of worsened outcomes in paediatric or maternity care.“The report did highlight areas where further improvement is needed, and we accept that not all families have received the best of experiences. We continue to work hard with our doctors, nurses and service managers to learn and make improvements. We have already made provision to support vulnerable families with transport, and we are progressing planning for Phase Two capital project to improve accommodation at Glangwili Hospital, as well plans to move the PACU at Withybush Hospital so it is closer and more easily accessible to the Emergency and Urgent Care Centre, strengthening support between the two departments. There is a meeting with our clinicians next week to review paediatric patient pathways in light of some of the concerns we have heard from families to review if there are improvements that can be made either to frontline services and communication between healthcare professionals or to communication with the general public about how to access these services and what to expect from them.“We are also looking very closely at two specific recommendations from the expert report, around merging paediatric consultant teams and bringing all major gynaecological surgery onto one site, as we believe we need further engagement with our clinical staff and patients to understand any implications and develop solutions together.”
Business
Llangwm brewery closes after entering liquidation
A SMALL Pembrokeshire brewing company has been formally wound up after its owners concluded the business could no longer continue.
Black Tar Brewing Co Ltd, which was registered in Llangwm, entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation following a meeting of company members on February 27, 2026.
The meeting was held at the Swansea offices of Stones & Co Insolvency Practitioners, where Gareth Stones was appointed to oversee the closure.
The company’s registered address was at Gail Rise in Llangwm, near Haverfordwest, and official records listed its activities as beer manufacturing.
No public details have yet been released about the size of the business, the value of its assets or the amount owed to creditors.
As liquidator, Mr Stones will now take control of the company’s affairs, identify any remaining assets and determine whether funds are available for those owed money.
Creditors are expected to receive further information as the process develops.
The liquidation was initiated by the company rather than through a court order, meaning its members voted to bring trading to an end and place its finances in the hands of an insolvency practitioner.
A public notice connected to the closure directs creditors and other interested parties to Stones & Co for further information.
The winding-up brings an end to the Llangwm-registered brewery, although the company’s recent level of trading and the number of people connected to the business remain unclear.
Crime
Murder investigation launched into death of Pembrokeshire man in 1991
A 67-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after new potential evidence emerged in connection with a death more than three decades ago.
Dyfed-Powys Police have launched a murder investigation into the death of 58-year-old Bentley Mathias, who died in hospital in 1991.
Mr Mathias died at Morriston Hospital on November 19, 1991, with his cause of death recorded at the time as a brain haemorrhage.
His death was not initially treated as suspicious. However, police said new potential evidence had since come to light, prompting the case to be investigated as a murder enquiry.
On Wednesday, July 22, officers arrested a 67-year-old man from the Llandewi Velfrey area of Pembrokeshire on suspicion of murder.
He has since been released on police bail while enquiries continue.
Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation.
The enquiry remains ongoing.
Education
Haverfordwest pupils impress judges with eco-friendly cleaning business
Ysgol Preseli also represented Pembrokeshire among five finalists at an all-Wales green skills competition
A TEAM of Haverfordwest pupils has earned national recognition after developing a range of environmentally friendly cleaning products aimed at hotels and tourism businesses.
The Sustainables, from Haverfordwest High VC School, presented their idea to business leaders, Welsh Government representatives and sustainability experts at the Tomorrow’s Changemakers Hackathon 2026.
The pupils gave a live demonstration of their product and explained how it could be priced and marketed to businesses across the hospitality sector.

Their combination of environmental thinking and commercial awareness impressed the judging panel, which awarded the team a Highly Commended prize.
Pupils from Ysgol Preseli also reached the final, meaning Pembrokeshire was represented by two of the five teams selected from across south and west Wales.
The competition, held at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in Carmarthen, challenged Year 8 pupils to find practical solutions to environmental problems affecting tourism, hospitality and the built environment.

The overall winners were the Green Guardians from Llangatwg Community School in Neath Port Talbot.
Their design for a more sustainable school included an outdoor learning centre which could also operate as a pupil-run garden café.
The hackathon marked the end of a year-long programme in which pupils worked alongside teachers, employers and community organisations to research problems, develop ideas and present their solutions.
More than 1,000 Pembrokeshire pupils have taken part in the Tomorrow’s Changemakers programme since it was introduced in the county in 2023.
The Port of Milford Haven is the programme’s main partner in Pembrokeshire.





Anna Mullarkey, the Port’s stakeholder engagement and communications manager, said: “The creativity and innovation shown by these learners is truly inspiring.
“They transformed their ideas into practical solutions that could help build a more sustainable future.
“We’re proud to support young people in reaching their full potential and delighted to see schools across Pembrokeshire creating environments where ideas and talent can flourish.”
The programme has now worked with more than 3,000 young people across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot.
It is due to expand further from September, with Ysgol Harri Tudor and Ysgol Caer Elen joining the Pembrokeshire programme alongside schools in Swansea, Powys and Bridgend.
Cymbrogi Futures founder and chief executive Liza Lort-Phillips said Pembrokeshire remained at the heart of the initiative.
She said: “The county has extraordinary young people with bold ideas about the future of their communities.
“Our job is to give them the space, the tools and the confidence to act on those ideas.”
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