News

Infection contributed to student’s fatal fall

Published

9 years ago

March 3, 2017

Tom Sinclair

Patrick Dear: Fell from a height at Dale Fort

AN INQUEST into the death of a 16–year–old schoolboy who was found at the foot of Dale Point was held at Milford Town Hall today (March 3).

Patrick Dear, of Essex, had been on a geography field trip to Dale Fort in March last year.

He was described by Coroner’s Officer Jeremy Davies as a ‘keen sportsman’ with ‘no concerns’.

The A–Level student, who had hoped to pursue a career in construction, would later be found at the base of the 120–foot cliffs that surround the former Victorian Fort.

A pathologist’s report described Paddy’s injuries as ‘severe’ and ‘in keeping with a fall from height’.

It also revealed that Paddy had been suffering from group A streptococcal septicemia, a ‘systemic infection’, which could cause ‘disorientation, confusion, unsteadiness and an inability to comprehend dangerous situations’.

The report concluded that this ‘infection contributed to his fall’.

Some of Paddy’s classmates from Campion school in Hornchurch, Essex, had said he ‘appeared restless’ and had experienced difficulty sleeping during his time at the Fort.

On March 17 at around 5.30pm, Paddy asked to be excused from a lesson to go to the toilet; however, he did not return.

When teachers became aware of Paddy’s disappearance, they alerted staff at the Fort, and after an initial search proved unsuccessful, police were informed at 7.05pm.

The search would continue into the early hours of the following day, with teams from Dyfed–Powys Police, which included a helicopter, and the Coastguard eventually finding Paddy’s body at around 1am.

While Paddy’s whereabouts prior to his death were unknown to staff at the Fort, Judith Curry, who lives on the seafront in Dale, was able to shed some light on his final hours.

Ms Curry recalled how she had been out in her front garden at around 6pm on March 17 when she saw a ‘young man’, who she would later identify as Paddy, standing near the seafront wall.

The Dale resident said she had been concerned about the student’s demeanour, adding that he had been ‘pacing up and down’ and ‘looking out to sea an awful lot’.

Ms Curry stated: “I would not say he was in control – he looked agitated.”

When she returned to her garden at around 8pm to find that Paddy had gone, Ms Curie said: “If he had still been there I would have gone over to him.”

A staff member at the Fort, Elizabeth Western recalled how she had ‘never had any issues with Paddy’, describing him as ‘quiet’.

The field trip had seen the pupils travel to several parts of Pembrokeshire, including Newgale, Tenby and Milford Haven; although Ms Western stated that whilst students are in the Fort, ‘the village is definitely out of bounds’.

She added that the Fort is occupied by at least one member of staff at all times and students have to sign in and out should they leave the premises.

At this point, Paddy’s mother, Patricia Dear, took the opportunity to ask Ms Western if the Fort had ‘someone standing on the gate’ during the search, to which Ms Western said they did not.

Head of Field Studies Council Pembrokeshire, Christine Milligan, who oversees Dale Fort and a similar centre at Orielton, said how the students would have been ‘warned of the dangers of the cliffs around the site’ on arrival, and that the Fort operates strict protocols in the event of a missing student.

She added that the search for Paddy had been ‘comprehensive’, with staff members having ‘searched systematically’.

Ms Milligan also said how deputy head teachers of Campion school, along with Paddy’s mother and other family members had began making the journey to Pembrokeshire in the hours after he was announced missing.

Speaking to Ms Milligan, Mrs Dear said: “Nothing we do today will bring Paddy back.”

She went on to raise questions over whether there had been any changes implemented since Paddy’s death, and in particular, if the Fort would now position someone on the gate if a similar event was to take place.

Raising concerns over the safety of future students visiting the site, Mrs Dear added: “In terms of security […] there is nothing stopping access to the public.”

Ms Milligan, who said that locking the gates in this instance would have likely not made a difference, responded: “We will certainly consider all issues raised here and look at what we can do if this awful situation was to happen again.”

Coroner Mark Layton recorded a narrative conclusion, saying that Paddy had died as a result of a fall from height whilst suffering from the systemic infection.

Mr Layton expressed his sincere condolences to Mr and Mrs Dear.

Farming

Basic Payment Scheme 2025 balance paid to 95% of Welsh farmers

Published

7 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Final year of BPS as transition to Sustainable Farming Scheme begins

The WELSH Government says more than ninety-five per cent of farm businesses have now received their full or balance payment under the final year of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), ahead of the introduction of the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) in 2026.

Announcing the update on Friday (Dec 12), Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, confirmed that over 15,400 Welsh farm businesses have been paid £68.7m. This comes on top of the £160m issued in BPS advance payments since 14 October.

Final round of BPS payments

The Basic Payment Scheme, which has been the backbone of farm support in Wales for a decade, provides direct income support to help farmers plan and manage their businesses. BPS 2025 marks the last year in which full BPS payments will be made before the scheme begins to be phased out.

The Cabinet Secretary said officials would “continue to process the outstanding BPS 2025 claims as soon as possible,” adding that all but the most complex cases should be completed by 30 June 2026.

Payments issued today represent the main balance due to farmers following earlier advances, giving many businesses the cash flow they need during the quieter winter period—traditionally a challenging time in the agricultural calendar.

Shift to Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2026

From 1 January 2026, the Welsh Government will begin rolling out the Sustainable Farming Scheme, a major reform to how agricultural support is delivered. The SFS will reward farmers for environmental outcomes such as habitat management, carbon reduction and biodiversity improvements, alongside continued food production.

The government has argued that the new scheme is essential to meeting Wales’ climate and nature targets while ensuring long-term resilience in the sector. However, the transition has been closely watched by farming unions, who have raised concerns about the administrative burden, income stability, and the speed at which BPS is being phased out.

Mr Irranca-Davies reaffirmed the government’s stance, saying: “This government is steadfastly committed to supporting Welsh farmers to sustainably produce quality food. This is demonstrated today in our payment of the BPS 2025 balance payments and will continue throughout the transition period.”

Sector reaction

Farming unions are expected to scrutinise the detail of today’s announcement, particularly around remaining unpaid cases. Last year, late payments led to frustration in parts of the sector, with unions calling for greater certainty as the industry faces rising input costs, supply chain pressures and continued market volatility.

The move to the SFS remains one of the most significant agricultural policy changes in Wales since devolution. Ministers insist the shift is designed to support both food production and environmental stewardship, while critics warn the transition must not undermine farm viability—especially for family-run livestock farms that dominate rural areas such as Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

What happens next

Farmers still awaiting their BPS 2025 balance will continue to be processed “as soon as possible”, the Welsh Government said. Officials will also publish updated guidance on the Sustainable Farming Scheme ahead of its launch.

The coming year will therefore become a pivotal moment for Welsh agriculture, as the long-standing BPS framework—which provided over £200m annually to Welsh farmers—makes way for a new results-based model that will shape the industry for decades to come.

News

Improved train timetable launches across Wales

Published

7 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Extra services, later trains and boosted Sunday routes as £800m rail investment takes effect

An improved train timetable has come into force across Wales today (Sunday, 14 December), with Transport for Wales (TfW) introducing more frequent services, stronger connections and additional late-night trains on key routes.

The winter timetable update brings one of the most substantial uplifts in recent years on the Wales and Borders network, forming part of the Welsh Government’s ongoing £800 million investment in brand-new rolling stock and reliability improvements.

More trains and later journeys

Among the upgrades, passengers will see:

A new hourly additional service between Chester and Wrexham, effectively doubling the frequency on one of the region’s busiest commuter corridors.
An extra train in each direction every day on the Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Shrewsbury.
Three later last trains from Cardiff to Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil, supporting shift workers and the night-time economy.
A new hourly Sunday service on the Coryton line in Cardiff.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said improved connectivity was “absolutely vital” for economic growth and passenger confidence.

“These changes will make a real difference to customers, who will benefit from more services and greater connectivity,” he said. “This has been made possible by our £800m investment in brand-new trains for the Wales and Borders network.

“We will see the doubling of trains between Wrexham and Chester and a later service from the capital to valley communities. In South Wales, people will continue to benefit from simpler, fairer fares through TfW’s Pay As You Go service, and its forthcoming introduction in North Wales will help even more passengers access easy, transparent pricing.”

Full details of the updated timetable are available at: tfw.wales/service-status/timetables

News

Wrecked guard boat still under watch off north Pembrokeshire coast

Published

8 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Tidal changes monitored after dramatic early-morning rescue

A GUARD VESSEL that ran aground off the north Pembrokeshire coast in the early hours of Thursday morning (Dec 11) remains under close observation as tides continue to shift.

The Resolute, a 24-metre guard boat understood to be working for an offshore wind project off the Irish coast, had been sheltering in worsening weather when she was pushed onto rocks near Aber Hywel, Dinas, shortly after 3:25am.

Four crew members were onboard when the vessel grounded in rough seas and a strong southerly wind.

Major rescue effort launched

The crew issued an emergency alert, prompting a full multi-agency response.
A coastguard rescue helicopter, both Fishguard RNLI lifeboats, and coastguard teams from Fishguard and St Davids were sent to the scene.

Turbulent air made a winch rescue impossible and Fishguard’s all-weather lifeboat was unable to get close due to cliffs and submerged hazards. The inshore lifeboat was instead deployed to attempt a transfer in extremely challenging conditions.

During the evacuation, the third crew member descending to the vessel’s life raft slipped, fell into the water and was swept away. Speaking afterwards, RNLI crew member Cedwyn Rogers said the team immediately switched into “hyper-focused” mode as training took over.

Despite the casualty drifting, helm Warren Bean — a volunteer with more than 30 years’ RNLI experience — manoeuvred the lifeboat alongside, allowing crew to haul the man to safety. The remaining crew member was then retrieved, and all four were taken aboard the all-weather lifeboat and brought ashore to Fishguard.

All rescue units were later stood down.

Vessel still stranded and taking on water

The Herald understands that the Resolute remained aground on the rocks yesterday and was taking on water. The crew were later assisted back onboard by a local fisherman to assess damage on behalf of the vessel’s operators.

Management representatives from Ireland were due to arrive to draw up a recovery plan, including arrangements to remove fuel to prevent any potential environmental impact.

Further inspections have been taking place today as the team evaluates the next steps.

Coastguard statement

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “At 3.28am on Thursday morning, HM Coastguard was made aware of a vessel with four persons onboard aground on rocks at Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. RNLI lifeboats and coastguard rescue teams from Fishguard and St Davids were sent to the scene. The four people aboard were rescued by lifeboat, and the helicopter was stood down. The vessel, which is still aground, is being monitored as tidal conditions change.”