Home Office says national target was met early as ministers link extra patrols to arrests and anti-social behaviour crackdown

THE UK GOVERNMENT says there are now 200 more neighbourhood police officers on the beat in Wales than there were a year ago, as ministers push a wider drive to increase visible policing in communities.

The claim was made as the Home Office announced it had met its target of putting more than 3,000 additional police officers and Police Community Support Officers into neighbourhood roles across England and Wales, two months ahead of schedule.

According to figures released on Tuesday (Apr 7), a total of 3,123 extra neighbourhood policing staff have either been recruited or redeployed since April last year, with the government saying they are now focused on tackling local crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Wales Secretary, Jo Stevens said: “There are now 200 more neighbourhood police officers on the beat in Wales than a year ago, fighting the crime and anti-social behaviour that can have a huge impact on communities.

“It is a central mission of the UK Government that people feel safe in their neighbourhoods and the increased police presence is already delivering results and leading to more arrests across the country.”

Ministers say the extra officers form part of a longer-term plan to roll out 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of this parliament.

The Home Office said a recent Winter of Action campaign, carried out during December and January in more than 600 towns and cities, led to almost 18,000 arrests as police patrols were stepped up.

Of those arrests, the government said more than 5,000 were linked to retail crime, more than 1,000 to sexual offences, almost 1,000 to street crime, and over 10,000 to violent assault.

Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said neighbourhood policing had been “hollowed out” in recent years and that too many officers had been kept in desk-based support roles rather than deployed on the streets.

She said: “We’re delivering the biggest reforms to policing in over 200 years and, crucially, putting 13,000 more neighbourhood officers where they belong – on the beat and fighting crime in our communities.”

The Home Office also pointed to what it described as early successes in several police force areas, including South Wales Police, which it said had reported a 37 per cent drop in home burglaries and a 14 per cent fall in anti-social behaviour.

The announcement also comes as the government launches a new strategy aimed at halving knife crime within a decade.

Under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, ministers say every neighbourhood in England and Wales will have named, contactable officers, with residents promised a meaningful response to local concerns within 72 hours.

All police forces have also now published anti-social behaviour action plans setting out how they intend to tackle persistent local problems.

John Hayward-Cripps, chief executive of the Neighbourhood Watch Network, welcomed the increase and said stronger local relationships would help build confidence and improve the flow of intelligence from communities.

Harvinder Saimbhi, chief executive of ASB Help, said the extra officers should help reassure victims that their concerns are being taken seriously.

The government says the expansion of neighbourhood policing marks a major step towards reversing years of decline in visible local policing, though the longer-term impact on crime levels will be closely watched.

TRIBUTES have been paid to Johnny Morris, a much-loved Fishguard photographer who has died at the age of 91.

For decades, Johnny was a familiar figure across north Pembrokeshire, capturing community life through his camera lens for the local press, as well as for countless local groups, charities and organisations.

He was widely regarded as the go-to photographer for Fishguard and the surrounding area, with an extensive archive of images documenting local people, events and history over many years.

As well as his photography, Johnny was known for his love of gardening, his knowledge of local history and his gift for telling stories. Friends said he was often happiest in his garden, where he won several local trophies for his growing skills.

Johnny died peacefully on Sunday, March 22, at Park House Court in Tenby. He was predeceased by his wife Irene. He is survived by his daughter Joy, son-in-law Dilwyn, and his brother Derek.

Former Western Telegraph reporter Anwen Baldwin paid tribute, describing him as a lovely man and a great photographer.

She said: “He knew so much about the local area, its people, events and history.

“He had a great sense of humour and I loved hearing his stories about Fishguard past and present, although not all of them were for publication.

“He had a huge archive of pictures documenting the area over the years, and if I ever needed an image for a story, he would have it, no matter how obscure the request.

“He took me under his wing when I first started as the Western Telegraph’s north Pembrokeshire reporter and became a good friend who I always looked forward to catching up with.

“He will be greatly missed by the local community and the many reporters and editors who were always pleased to see a picture from Johnny Morris on their pages.”

Fishguard RNLI said Johnny had played an important role in recording the life of the station over many years. In a mark of respect, the flag at the lifeboat station has been lowered to half-mast.

A spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of local photographer and supporter of Fishguard RNLI, Johnny Morris.

“As the station’s photographer Johnny documented a vast array of station life, from crew photos and station fundraising events, to the arrival of our current D-Class inshore lifeboat, as well as countless other community events.

“As a mark of respect, the flag over the station will continue to be flown at half-mast.”

Fishguard and District Round Table also paid tribute, describing Johnny as a local photography legend and a strong supporter of community events and charities.

The group said he had always been on hand to record important milestones in the town.

Long-standing member Gwil Evans added: “He had a brilliant knack of being able to make even the worst of us look like a million bucks.”

Johnny’s funeral will take place on Friday, April 10, at 11:30am at the Chapel of Rest, Feidr Castell, Fishguard, followed by interment at Hermon Cemetery.

Family flowers only are requested. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made payable to Fishguard Lifeboat, care of Paul Jenkins & Sons Funeral Directors, Feidr Castell, Fishguard.

Chairman says issue has been dealt with, but winding-up notice is still listed ahead of High Court hearing

HAVERFORDWEST County AFC is facing serious questions after an HM Revenue and Customs winding-up petition against the company behind the club remained live on The London Gazette website despite the chairman insisting the matter has already been dealt with.

The petition against Haverfordwest County A.F.C. Ltd was presented on February 23 and is listed to be heard at the High Court in London on Wednesday, April 15 at 10:30am. The public notice states that HMRC is seeking to wind up the company, registered at Bridge Meadow Stadium, Bridge Meadow Lane, Haverfordwest, claiming to be a creditor.

Any person intending to support or oppose the petition must give notice by 4:00pm on April 14. At the time of publication, the notice remained publicly visible and there was nothing on the Gazette entry to show that it had been withdrawn, dismissed or otherwise disposed of.

After being contacted by The Herald, chairman Rob Edwards said the case was “a non-story” and claimed it related to “a VAT offset against PAYE that wasn’t recorded”. He said the issue had been rectified “some time ago”, that the club had no debt to HMRC, and that HMRC had already provided a petition to withdraw to the court.

However, HMRC did not confirm that when approached by The Herald. Instead, a spokesperson gave only a general statement, saying: “We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and only file winding-up petitions once we’ve exhausted all other options, in order to protect taxpayers’ money.”

That leaves an obvious gap between the chairman’s account and the public record. If Edwards is right, the matter may already be in the process of being withdrawn. But until the court or Gazette record is updated, the petition remains live in public and continues to list a High Court hearing next week.

Even if the matter is ultimately withdrawn, the fact it progressed to the stage of a published HMRC winding-up petition is likely to raise concern among supporters, sponsors and creditors. A petition of this kind is a serious insolvency step, not a routine administrative query. If it were to proceed and succeed, the company could face compulsory liquidation.

The issue is especially striking because the club has recently spoken publicly about growth, investment and longer-term ambition. In January, Haverfordwest said it was in the latter stages of an exclusivity agreement relating to significant investment from a US-based fund. Earlier statements had also referred to outside backing, ambitions to move towards full-time football, and a wider business vision around the club.

Those statements painted a picture of momentum and expansion. The emergence of a live HMRC petition, whatever the eventual explanation, is therefore bound to prompt scrutiny of the club’s financial management and internal controls.

Questions are also likely to be asked about Rob Edwards’ wider business interests beyond west Wales. Recent coverage has linked him and Morley Sports Management to ventures in the United States, underlining the scale of the broader commercial ambition surrounding Haverfordwest’s rise.

For supporters, sponsors, staff and creditors, the immediate question is whether the matter will be formally withdrawn or whether the public court record will remain unchanged until the hearing date. Until that becomes clear, one of Welsh football’s most talked-about recent success stories is facing a deeply serious test off the pitch.

UPDATE: 14:16 HRS, April 7, 2026:

The club has now published an official statement saying the petition “has been withdrawn by HMRC,” but the petition still appears live on The London Gazette and still lists the April 15 hearing. The club statement says there is “no debt owed to HMRC” and attributes the matter to “an allocation issue around a PAYE/VAT offset at the end of last year.”