News
Mustang Marine goes into administration
![](https://pembrokeshire-herald.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/mustang-marine.png)
• 65 jobs lost • Local firms owed hundreds of thousands • Politicians want reassurances over remaining jobs
THE WELSH GOVERNMENT MINISTER for the Economy, Science and Transport, Edwina Hart, has confirmed to The Herald that Pembroke Dock based Mustang Marine is now in the hands of administrators Grant Thornton, but is continuing to trade. Around 65 employees have been laid off and 50 staff will remain, according to the firm.
Interim managing director Stewart Graves said he was still hopeful a buyer could be found.
Mustang has had millions of pounds in funding from the Milford Haven Port Authority and a cash injection from the Welsh government. Last week, the interim managing director said the company had a significant cash shortage in December which left it facing closure.
He said with assistance from a new management team and external advisers a long-term funding package was secured in February from the Welsh government and Milford Haven Port Authority and an external third party.
However, after completing its review of the business, the external party withdrew its offer, and “without that party the long-term funding package could not proceed”.
Alec Don, Chief Executive of the Port of Milford Haven said in a statement: “Mustang Marine is 50% owned by the Port of Milford Haven and therefore is an associate company.”
“We are obviously concerned about the great anxiety amongst staff and other stakeholders that this administration announcement will be causing. We have always been supportive of Mustang’s efforts to grow their business and establish themselves as a manufacturer based in West Wales in competition with other ship builders in the UK and beyond.”
“As a Trust Port we remain committed, more than normal commercial considerations would allow, to working with the administrator and other stakeholders to see a viable business re-established. We will do all we can to attract investors who can make a success of the outstanding facilities and location we have here, and employ as many of the highly skilled staff as possible.”
Politicians express concern
Delyth Evans, Parliamentary Candidate for South Pembrokeshire said: “I am extremely disappointed to learn of the news that administrators have been appointed to Mustang Marine. This is very bad news for the employees and their families and other local businesses that are also affected. I know the Welsh Government has been working hard to help the company find a way out of its difficulties. It is vital that every opportunity is explored to secure a future for the business and to support the workforce.”
Cllr Paul Miller, said: “I share Delyth’s concern for those people who are affected by this difficult outcome. Mustang Marine has been a major employer over the years and has directly and indirectly contributed to the Pembrokeshire economy.”
“I’ll be raising this with officers of Pembrokeshire County Council and with the Milford Haven Enterprise Zone Board. It’s critical that both organisations re-double their efforts to support job creation around the waterway.”
Rebecca Evans AM, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, has asked the First Minister what advice and support the Welsh Government will make available to members of the Mustang Marine workforce facing redundancy.
AM seeks assurances over jobs
Speaking at the weekly questions to the First Minister, Mrs Evans said: “The news that Mustang Marine in Pembroke Dock has gone into administration with the loss of 66 jobs is a bitter blow for the area.
“What support and assistance will the Welsh Government offer to those 66 workers facing redundancy, and how can you help to work towards safeguarding the remaining 48 jobs?”
In response, the First Minister, Carwyn Jones confirmed that “We are exploring a number of options at the moment, but I can say that those threatened with redundancy will be offered ReAct support and advice.”
ReAct is the Welsh Government’s Redundancy Action Scheme which has been put in place to help people affected by redundancy gain new skills and encourage recruiting employers to employ a redundant worker.
ReAct can offer help to individuals facing redundancy, or those who are newly out of work, by offering recruitment and training support, as well as discretionary awards toward vocational training. Help can include 100 per cent of training costs to acquire new skills (up to a maximum of £1,500), help with the cost of special equipment to remove barriers to training, help towards the cost of travelling to training courses, overnight accommodation costs – where appropriate, and a contribution towards childcare costs whilst training.
Mrs Evans said: “ReAct also offers packages for employers taking on someone who has been made redundant.
“The Welsh Government’s employer recruitment support initiative funds employers who recruit individuals who have been made redundant in the past six months. The award offers up to £3,000 paid in four instalments as a contribution towards wage costs.
“There is also an employer training support fund, which is a separate discretionary fund of up to £1,000 that an employer can put towards the cost of the new recruit’s job-related training.
“I urge local employers to consider whether this funding would be right for them.”
Uncertainty for suppliers
Last month The Herald reported that there were hundreds of thousands owed to local businesses by Mustang Marine. The administrators have now confirmed that the figure is around £350,000 and that there are over sixty firms owed cash. A local business man who spoke to the Herald on condition of anonymity said: “Our company is only a small firm, and we have been waiting for payment since before Christmas. If we do not get paid, which is now looking unlikely, we will be forced to lay off staff at our company too. The knock on effect of Mustang going into administration may very well be greater than the job losses at the firm itself.”
Alec Don said: “The interests of creditors and employees will be best served by all parties working together to ensure a strong business emerges from the administration process.”
Community
Public reminded to stay away from Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay
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THE PORT of Milford Haven is reminding members of the public to stay away from Ward’s Yard in Milford Haven and Criterion Quay (sometimes known as the offshore jetty) in Pembroke Dock due to concerns over public safety.
Despite significant security measures, people continue to access the sites illegally, ignoring and sometimes damaging the onsite signage and fences.
Niall Yeomans, Head of Health, Safety and Security at the Port of Milford Haven said: “Safety is our key priority. Members of the public are continuously putting themselves and members of our team at risk of serious harm by trespassing in these areas.”
“Both Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay are unsafe for public access. They are isolated areas next to deep water and are susceptible to slips, trips and falls.”
Both sites are owned by the Port of Milford Haven and are private property. Anyone found onsite without consent is trespassing, and any criminal damage could result in prosecution.
Anyone who sees any suspicious activity at Ward’s Yard or Criterion Quay is asked to contact Dyfed Powys Police on 101 urgently.
Crime
‘Sophisticated’ organised crime gang trafficked cocaine and cannabis to Aberystwyth
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FIVE people have been found guilty or admitted to conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis as Dyfed-Powys Police continues its efforts to dismantle organised crime gangs.
Officers seized cocaine with a street value of more than £400,000 from gang members, who continually changed tactics to avoid arrest.
Six defendants have appeared in court in the latest phase of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Operation Burleigh, which sought to disrupt the trafficking and onward supply of class A and B drugs into Aberystwyth, with all but one admitting their charges or being found guilty by a jury.
This brings the total number of people awaiting sentence under the operation to 15.
The court heard that officers from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Team and Ceredigion Priority Policing Team led the investigation into the OCG, which was described as ‘sophisticated, well-organised and evolving’.
Detective Sergeant Steven Jones said: “This conspiracy operated on a County Lines model, where controlled drugs are trafficked into a smaller rural town from a larger city, and the operation is controlled by one or more ‘drugs lines’.
“In this case there were a total of four lines controlling the supply of cocaine and cannabis within Aberystwyth.
“The conspirators frequently evolved their actions to frustrate the authorities and evade capture.”
The OCG embedded members were mainly asylum seekers brought to Aberystwyth by Toana Ahmad and another man who remains outstanding, with the sole purpose of dealing drugs. The drug lines were initially based in Swansea, and later in areas of Birmingham.
Three properties – on Terrace Road, Alexander Road and Parc Graig Glas – were identified early in the investigation as being used to house the OCG members embedded in Aberystwyth. Substantial amounts of cash, controlled drugs and weapons were recovered from these properties, and from the people found inside.
When arrests were made, the gang changed its tactics. Drugs began to be supplied from vehicles, and OCG members stayed in guest houses to avoid detection.
DS Jones added: “Trusted couriers were employed to transport drugs to Aberystwyth and cash back to Birmingham or Swansea. A number of vehicles, including taxis, were used as the gang attempted to avoid detection along the route, while trains were also taken when courier cars were stopped by officers.”
In June 2023, two vehicles travelling from the West Midlands towards Aberystwyth were stopped by police on consecutive days. A black sock was uncovered in the engine of the first car, which was found to contain 82g of high purity cocaine divided into 169 grip seal plastic bags.
Davinder Singh, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs, was the driver of the second vehicle, which was a taxi. A blue plastic bag was seen falling out of his shorts, which contained over 81g of high purity cocaine divided into 167 grip seal bags.
DS Jones said: “On the basis that the amounts of cocaine transported over the 37 couriers over the course of the conspiracy period were similar, over 3kg of cocaine would have been conveyed to Aberystwyth from Birmingham.
“This equates to class A drugs with a potential street value of over £308,950. In addition to this, class A drugs were seized from individuals and addresses with a potential street value of £103,445, along with cash totalling £11,687.
“A number of teams and departments across Dyfed-Powys Police, from analysts, CCTV operators and priority policing teams, to CAB, the Technical Support Unit, Economic Crime Team and Force Intelligence Bureau all assisted in dismantling the OCG from top to bottom.
“Their dedication and relentless efforts have assisted in making Aberystwyth a safer place to live without the threat and harm of drugs being made easily available on the street.”
After a seven-week trial at Swansea Crown Court earlier this year, the following three defendants were found guilty for their parts in the conspiracy:
- Toana Ahmad, aged 33, of Lee Gardens in Smethwich, West Midlands
- Barzan Sarhan, aged 31, of no fixed address
- Ahmed Piro, aged 26, of no fixed address
The jury failed to reach a verdict on two defendants during the earlier trial. They have been subject to a retrial starting on July 1, with the following outcomes:
- Hawre Ahmed, aged 35, of Pinderfields Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was found guilty by the jury of conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs.
- Diar Yousef Zeabari, aged 35, of Flat 5, 41 Bryn Road, Swansea, was found not guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs.
Karwan Karim, aged 39 of 125 Griffith John Street, Swansea, also stood trial, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs on day three.
In addition to the OCG members found guilty during the most recent trials, the following have previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs under Operation Burleigh:
- Davinder Singh, aged 36, of Huntingdon Road, West Bromwich
- Daban Khalil, aged 23, of Streetly Road, Birmingham
- Kastro Omar, aged 30, of Junction Road, Northampton
- Karwan Jabari, aged 26, of Weedon Close, Northampton
- Walid Younis Abdal, aged 34, of St Anne’s Road, Doncaster
- Saman Aziz, aged 41, of Kirk Road, Merseyside
- Adel Mustafa, aged 39, of Hubert Road, Newport
- Charlotte Roberts, aged 21, of Sutton Hill, Telford
The following have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs:
- Akasha Smith, aged 24, of Third Avenue, Aberystwyth
- Luqman Jarjis, aged 21, of Wake Green Road, Birmingham
News
Community asked for views on allocation of new St Davids homes
![](https://pembrokeshire-herald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Glasfryn3-scaled-e1721980963591.jpg)
THE FIRST phase of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Glasfryn housing development in St Davids is progressing well with the second phase also underway.
The development being built by GRD Homes Ltd, began in November 2023, with a first phase completion date of Winter 2024 looking hopeful, ahead of the scheduled plans.
The first phase consists of seven properties, including a mixture of one and two bedroom bungalows
As completion draws closer the properties will be advertised via Pembrokeshire Choice Homes.
Ahead of this, the Council’s housing team will be holding community engagement on the 13th August 2024 at the Ty’r Pererin Centres, Quickwell Hill, St Davids, SA62 6PD, 5pm-7pm.
This will be a chance for officers to liaise with the local community about the allocation process for these properties.
Glasfryn’s second phase is well underway, with the initial groundwork already completed. This phase includes a further 11 two bedroom bungalows, with a completion date in late 2025.
These bungalows will meet the latest Welsh Government’s Development Quality Requirement, and will be energy efficient, built to EPC A specification and include solar panels to help tenants with running costs.
The Glasfryn development is funded in partnership with Welsh Government.
Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr Michelle Bateman said: “We are really keen to work with the community on a local lettings policy for these new properties, as we have done for our developments in other parts of the County.”
If you have any queries please email the Customer Liaison Team on [email protected], phone them on 01437 764551, or visit Housing’s Facebook page.
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