News
Pembroke Dock: Jobs uncertainty as engineering firm faces liquidation
A LOCAL engineering firm, which recently received hundreds of thousands of pounds in support from the Welsh Government, has been presented with a winding up petition by HMRC for unpaid tax bills.
Mainport Engineering (1990) Limited which was served with the legal documents last month, but now has until 31st October to settle its debt, apply for an adjournment in court or be sent into receivership.
The Pembroke Dock based company, which has been trading since 1990, provides engineering services to the petro chemical, food processing, water treatment, manufacturing and power generation industries.
It is a major employer in the area, with official company accounts stating the average number of employees last year was 247 people, up from 224 in 2014.
The case for liquidation will be heard at The Royal Courts of Justice, London on Monday at 10.30am.
An advertisement has been placed in the London Gazette stating that any persons ‘intending to appear on the hearing of the Petition must give notice of intention to do so to the Petitioners or their solicitor by 4pm on October 28.’
The advertising of the winding up petition marks a dramatic turn of events for the Pembroke Dock based firm, which had a turnover of over £13m in year end 31 March 2015.
In June last year Mainport Engineering hit the headlines, announcing that 100 new jobs were to be created with the £1.6m expansion of the firm.
In March this year, Main Port Engineering’s new £1.8m purpose designed facility on the Haven Waterway Enterprise was officially opened by the Economy Minister.
The investment in the new facility was supported by £650,000 from the Welsh Government’s Economic Growth Fund
Speaking at the official launch, Edwina Hart said: “This is a significant investment by Main Port Engineering and it’s good news to hear that the new fabrication hall will expand their capacity and extend their capability.”
Main Port director Jeff Harries at the time added: “The new facility is an important milestone for Main Port Engineering and a sign of our confidence in the business’ future. It has already created a lot of interest from our existing clients as well as potential new customers.
“Support from the Welsh Government was pivotal as we would not have gone ahead without this funding. We are all very grateful for this help and look forward to growing the business and creating more job opportunities in the area.”
The company is directed by Alan Harries of Orielton, Pembroke and Adrian Harris of Pennar Point , Pembroke Dock. Both are also major shareholders.
A third major shareholder is Paul Muxworthy.
Welsh government support helped to create 30 new jobs and safeguard a further 155.
The employees’ futures are now uncertain, as the firm wrestles to stay afloat.
The company contributes over £10m in wages per annum into the local economy.
The Herald contacted Mainport Engineering who said they were “busy in meetings, and unable to comment at the present time.”
Business
Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost
RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.
The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”
SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION
As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.
Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.
“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”
ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS
An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.
“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.
The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.
Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”
GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES
The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.
The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.
News
Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children
A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.
The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.
Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.
During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.
MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.
Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.
Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.
Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.
Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.
MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.
News
Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home
A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.
Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).
In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.
PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”
This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.
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“The sense of power and the great surge of energy that this earth provides is all I want my paintings to share”
Tomos
October 28, 2016 at 9:15 am
Ruddy Senedd politicians , they really have no idea about what goes on in the real world so they, they may even have taked advice from Pembrokeshire County Council – they’re pretty good at throwing money away