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News

Tragic death of university field trip student at Dale

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West Dale Beach

West Dale Beach

AN INQUEST into the death of a 20-year-old man was held at Milford Haven Town Hall yesterday (Oct 27).

James Thomas Manto, of London, died on May 7 this year; he had been part of a university field trip to Pembrokeshire with Plymouth University. Family members were present at the inquest.

Mr Manto had been staying at Dale Fort; he was found face down and unresponsive on Dale Beach.

In his second year of a geology course, Mr Manto was described as having ‘no concerns and was looking forward to the future’. His mother had been in contact with him on social media while he was in Pembrokeshire; he had told her how he was ‘really enjoying the field trip’.

The night prior to Mr Manto’s death (May 6) marked the final night of the field trip – students and lecturers had arranged to go into the village of Dale for food and drinks.

Statements read by students and lecturers recalled that Mr Manto was ‘highly intoxicated’ on the night leading up to his death the following morning. Members of staff at The Griffin Inn had asked Mr Manto to leave the premises.

Mr Manto was last seen standing outside The Griffin Inn at around 2am (May 7).

By 8.30am that morning, lecturers informed staff at Dale Fort that they had a student missing; the police were also informed.

A search party was launched by police, with the help of RNLI lifeboats and a helicopter search party.
Mr Manto was found by members of the RNLI, with police reporting they had located a missing body at around 11.15am; Mr Manto had suffered severe lacerations.

RNLI crew members attempted to resuscitate Mr Manto for 20 minutes. This was followed by the arrival of a Coastguard vessel carrying a defibrillator, after which crew members attempted a further 10 minutes of CPR. The inquest also heard how ‘attempts were made to inject adrenaline into his groin’.

An Air Ambulance was also called to the scene. A statement by winch man and paramedic Austin Harley was read during the inquest.

Mr Harley recalled how he and other crew members had been ‘instructed to respond’ to the incident following a training exercise; little information had been given other than ‘male with head injury’.

When Mr Harley arrived at the scene, he recalled how several emergency services were already present.

An ambulance had been waiting on the shoreline; however, Mr Harley made the decision that Mr Manto needed to be airlifted to hospital.

He recalled: “On three occasions we were instructed to shock the patient, which we did.”

Mr Manto was later pronounced dead in hospital.

The post mortem report was also read during the inquest, described by Coroner Gareth Lewis as ‘difficult reading’, and therefore only provided relevant details of the report.

The post mortem labelled Mr Manto’s death as ‘unnatural’, adding that he had suffered several injuries included ‘blunt head trauma’ and ‘left rib fractures’, as well as ‘multiple injuries to the head and chest’.

It also suggested that such injuries ‘may have been caused by a fall from height’, and concluded that ‘the cause of death was multiple injuries’.

Mr Matthew Watkinson, a lecturer on the field trip who had known Mr Manto since the start of his course, was called to give a statement during the inquest.

He described Mr Manto as ‘in a group and highly intoxicated’ on the night of May 6.

He recalled: “I saw James leave the pub but didn’t see where he went.”

Coroner Lewis went on to ask Mr Watkinson if the university had learned any lessons for future field trips: “Has the university implemented any procedures?”

Mr Watkinson said how the university had held several meetings between senior staff.

He said: “We looked particularly at how to further encourage students to be responsible regarding alcohol intake.”

Mr Watkinson also added the students would be reminded of their ‘responsibility to one another’.

He added: “I’d specifically briefed the students that afternoon about responsibility and being mindful of the local people.

“In my heart, I wish I’d come across him and was able to bring him home.”

Following his statement, Mr Manto’s mother questioned Mr Watkinson as to why her son had not been escorted home, given his intoxicated state.

Mr Watkinson replied: “My view of James at the time was he was with a large group of students.”

He added: “I didn’t think it was a situation where he’d be a danger to himself.”

Several statements by other students on the field trip were also read. They described Mr Manto as ‘swaying’ and ‘unsteady on his feet’. Commenting on Mr Manto’s character more generally, it was said he was found to be ‘very quiet’ and ‘shy’.

In his concluding statement, Coroner Lewis said: “We can only speculate as to what happened in those last few moments.”

With reference to Mr Manto’s injuries being consistent to those of a heavy fall, Mr Lewis stated the death was ‘accidental’, adding: “James Manto died as a result of an accident.”

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Fiona Manto

    October 30, 2016 at 11:48 am

    Please amend your article. Mr Matthew Watkinson was the lead lecturer, and the witness called at the inquest. I would like his name correctly reported here, and permanently linked with James’ death.
    Thank you.

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News

Welsh Government unveils new legislation to transform bus services

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PROPOSALS to overhaul the way local bus services are planned and delivered across Wales have been published today, with the aim of improving services for passengers and encouraging more people to use public transport.

A new Bill has been laid before the Senedd which, if passed, will grant powers to establish a fully integrated bus network that puts passenger needs first.

Key proposals include creating one network, one timetable, and one ticket system across Wales. Services will be designed based on local knowledge but coordinated nationally by Transport for Wales, working in close partnership with local authorities and Corporate Joint Committees. The new system would primarily operate through franchised contracts delivered by private, public, and third sector operators.

Welcoming the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said the legislation had the potential to transform bus travel for communities across the country.

“This is a historic day for public transport in Wales as proposals for bus reform begin their journey through the Senedd,” said Mr Skates. “This is about putting people first—offering one network, one timetable and one ticket across Wales.

“Change is needed. While some areas are well-served, it’s not the case everywhere. I want a bus network that is reliable, affordable, easy to use, and better integrated with other modes of transport such as trains and active travel.

“The benefits are clear: improved access to services, greater equity for those most reliant on public transport, and a meaningful alternative to car travel.”

Buses carry around 190,000 passengers a day in Wales and account for three-quarters of all public transport journeys. The Bill aims to address common barriers to bus use—such as poor reliability, lack of ticket interoperability between operators, and weak links with other transport modes.

The public will benefit from clearer, easier-to-navigate timetables and more seamless transitions between buses and trains. Ticket revenue will be reinvested across the country, improving services in both rural and urban areas.

Mr Skates highlighted current examples of successful integration, including the TrawsCymru T1 service, which already offers joint bus and rail tickets, and the 1bws ticket in North Wales, valid on almost every local bus in the region.

“These examples show what can be achieved with joined-up thinking,” he said. “I don’t underestimate the scale of change this Bill represents, which is why the rollout will happen region by region. But when complete, it will be truly transformational.”

The rollout is expected to begin in South West Wales in 2027, followed by North Wales in 2028, South East Wales in 2029, and Mid Wales in 2030. However, Mid Wales will benefit from earlier improvements through the Bridge to Franchising programme, already underway.

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Education

Welsh pupils harness Minecraft to explore offshore wind and climate careers

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PUPILS at Golden Grove School in Pembrokeshire are diving into the world of renewable energy and marine conservation through the immersive Minecraft Education world Offshore Wind Power Challenge—a collaboration between The Crown Estate and Microsoft UK.

Available in both Welsh and English, the virtual world enables students to design and build their own offshore wind farms to power a coastal village. Along the way, they gain insights into climate change, environmental protection, and careers in sustainability, engineering and conservation.

The initiative has now been expanded with new classroom resources tailored for younger learners and aligned to the Welsh curriculum. Lesson plans for teachers are also being provided to support the integration of the material into everyday teaching.

As part of their focus on developing green skills in schools across Wales, The Crown Estate partnered with education specialists Dosbarth to create the new learning content. The organisation is currently delivering taster sessions across the country, including to Year 5 and 6 pupils at Golden Grove.

Wales is emerging as a leader in renewable energy, with new floating offshore wind farms set to be developed in the Celtic Sea under The Crown Estate’s latest seabed leasing round. These projects have the potential to generate up to 4.5GW of electricity—enough to power more than four million homes. Independent research estimates the economic value of these developments could reach £1.4bn, supporting up to 5,300 jobs.*

Rebecca Williams, Director of Devolved Nations at The Crown Estate, said: “This is an exciting collaboration that brings new educational content to schools through the best-selling game of all time. This Minecraft Education world provides students and teachers with a fun way to explore the opportunities and challenges of our energy transition while protecting the natural environment, through the languages that matter most to them.

“The Crown Estate is committed to creating partnerships that have a positive impact. We hope this initiative will inspire young people to develop their skills and discover the green careers of the future.”

Karen Jones, Managing Director of Dosbarth, added: “By creating new materials for younger audiences that align with the Welsh curriculum—and providing accessible lesson plans for busy teachers—we believe these resources will inspire even more pupils across Wales to become the next generation of environmental leaders and problem-solvers.”

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News

New planning guidance to protect communities from flooding

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REVISED guidance has been published to help safeguard Welsh communities from the growing risks of flooding and coastal erosion.

The updated Technical Advice Note 15 (TAN 15) outlines how the planning system can help communities avoid the impacts of flooding and build greater resilience in areas where it cannot be avoided.

Following a period of public consultation, the new TAN provides planners with a clearer framework to assess flood risks from rivers, the sea, surface water, and coastal erosion. It also includes advice on adapting to and living with flood risk as climate change continues to increase the frequency and severity of such events.

Publishing the new guidance, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said:

“Recent storms have brought into sharp focus the devastating effect flooding can have on the lives and businesses of people across Wales. It can happen at any time of the year, often without significant warning, and with serious consequences.

“That’s why it’s essential the planning system fully recognises the likelihood and potential impacts of future flooding events.”

The revised TAN 15 adopts a risk-based approach, using the Flood Map for Planning to weigh the probability of flooding against the vulnerability of different types of development.

“In essence,” Evans added, “the higher the likelihood of flooding and the greater the vulnerability of development, the more restrictive the policy becomes.”

The guidance comes into effect immediately, with transitional arrangements in place for planning applications that are already under consideration.

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