THE POLICE investigation into the serious incident which happened on Felindre Road, Pencoed, in the early hours of Saturday, February 28, is now being treated as murder. 

We can confirm the 58-year-old man who was critical in hospital passed away earlier today – his family are being supported by specially trained officers at this time, and our thoughts are with them. 

The Major Crime Investigation Team at South Wales Police is now leading the investigation, and the 26-year-old man arrested remains in police custody. 

Detectives investigating the incident are appealing to anyone who may have been in the vicinity of Felindre Road, Pencoed, between midnight and 5am on Saturday to get in touch. 

Motorists are urged to their check dashcams for any footage which may be relevant. 

Detectives would like to speak to two potential witnesses – two elderly people who are believed to have walked along Felindre Road between 12.30am and 4am on Saturday. 

Detective Inspector Graham Williams, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Sadly, a 58-year-old man has died in hospital following the incident on Saturday morning. Our thoughts are with his family at this time and they are being supported. I would like to reassure the local community that we have somebody in custody and are not looking for anybody else at this time. I thank everyone in the community who has helped our investigation so far, and I urge anyone with information which may be relevant to our investigation – particularly the two potential witnesses – to get in touch.” 

If anybody does have information, they should contact 101 quoting reference 2600063517. Alternatively, they can submit information via the Major Incident Public – https://mipp.police.uk/operation/62SWP26C30-PO1 

PUPILS and staff at Maesydderwen Comprehensive School in Ystradgynlais were released safely on Monday afternoon (Mar 2) after a lockdown was implemented following a reported telephone threat.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed officers were called to the school earlier in the day and worked with staff to ensure the safety of everyone on site. As a precaution, the school activated its lockdown procedure while enquiries were carried out.

Police said there were no reports of injuries and that all pupils and staff were safe and secure throughout the incident.

Officers remain at the scene while “diligent enquiries” into the threat continue. At this stage, no arrests have been made, and police have confirmed there is no evidence of any ongoing risk to pupils or staff.

Reassurance patrols will take place in the coming days to support pupils, staff, parents and the wider community.

Parents and guardians will continue to receive updates directly through the school messaging app, including confirmation on whether the school will open as normal on Tuesday.

Maesydderwen Comprehensive School is located in Ystradgynlais, Powys, and is served by Dyfed-Powys Police.

UK energy security concerns grow after shutdown at major export facilities

ENERGY bills in the UK could rise sharply after Qatar halted liquefied natural gas (LNG) production following military strikes linked to the escalating Iran conflict — a move that has sent shockwaves through global markets and carries direct implications for gas supplies connected to Milford Haven.

Qatar is responsible for around a fifth of global LNG production. Its sudden shutdown has already driven wholesale gas prices higher, raising the risk that British households could once again face spiralling energy costs if disruption continues.

Although there is currently no indication of an immediate physical shortage, analysts warn that price volatility could intensify rapidly if production remains offline.

Milford Haven link

Milford Haven is one of Britain’s most critical gas gateways. The port houses two LNG import terminals feeding directly into the national grid.

The larger South Hook terminal was originally developed to receive Qatari gas and is majority owned by QatarEnergy. The second facility, Dragon LNG, is jointly owned by Shell and Vitol and imports cargoes from a range of global suppliers, including the United States.

While South Hook now receives LNG from multiple sources and global trading “swap” arrangements mean Qatari gas is often redirected to Asia while alternative supplies are sent to Europe, experts say a halt in Qatari production tightens the entire global system.

When one of the world’s largest exporters stops producing, fewer cargoes are available worldwide. That increases competition between buyers and pushes prices up — regardless of where individual ships originate.

Why bills could rise

In a high-price global market, LNG cargoes flow to whichever region is willing to pay the most.

Companies such as Shell and Vitol operate internationally and can redirect shipments to higher-priced destinations rather than bringing them into the UK. Owning import infrastructure provides flexibility, but it does not guarantee that Britain receives priority supply.

If global prices spike, the UK must compete with Europe and Asia to secure cargoes — a dynamic seen during the Ukraine energy crisis, when European nations were forced to bid aggressively to avoid shortages.

Britain’s relatively low gas storage capacity makes it particularly sensitive to global price swings.

Risk of deeper supply shock

Experts speaking to The Herald this evening said that if disruption continues for as long as a week, Qatar may be forced to shut down its liquefaction “trains” — the vast industrial processing units that super-cool natural gas into liquid form for export.

LNG facilities can only continue operating while storage tanks and shipping capacity remain available. If exports stay blocked and storage fills, production must be cut or halted altogether.

Industry sources warn that shutting trains is technically complex and cannot be reversed quickly. Any prolonged closure would significantly reduce global supply and drive prices higher. The moment the trains shut, analysts say the situation shifts from a temporary disruption to a full-scale energy market shock.

Energy security under scrutiny

Although the UK continues to receive gas from domestic North Sea production, Norwegian pipelines and other LNG exporters, Qatar’s shutdown represents a major removal of volume from the global market.

The longer the disruption continues, the greater the likelihood that wholesale costs will feed through into household bills — particularly ahead of the winter heating season.

For Pembrokeshire, the situation underlines the global importance of Milford Haven’s energy infrastructure — and how geopolitical conflict thousands of miles away can directly influence local industry and national energy costs.