New Cabinet confirmed following Full Council meeting

COUNCILLOR Linda Evans has been appointed Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council and Chair of the Cabinet following a meeting of Full Council on Wednesday (Dec 10).

A long-serving Plaid Cymru councillor for the Llanfihangel-ar-Arth ward, Cllr Evans has served on the authority since 2008 and has been a Cabinet Member since 2015.

Her appointment was formally confirmed during the meeting, where she also announced her Cabinet team — a 10-member executive responsible for the council’s overall business. The Cabinet meets fortnightly to make key decisions and recommendations to Full Council and, in some cases, decisions can be taken individually by Cabinet Members.

All members of the previous administration have retained their roles, with one change: Cllr Emlyn Schiavone joins the Cabinet as the new Cabinet Member for Homes.

The full Cabinet is as follows:

• Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism: Cllr Hazel Evans
• Cabinet Member for Education: Cllr Glynog Davies
• Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, Communities and Welsh Language: Cllr Carys Jones
• Cabinet Member for Organisation and Workforce: Cllr Philip Hughes
• Cabinet Member for Resources: Cllr Alun Lenny
• Cabinet Member for Homes: Cllr Emlyn Schiavone
• Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services: Cllr Edward Thomas
• Cabinet Member for Integrated Health and Children and Adult Social Services: Cllr Jane Tremlett
• Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability: Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen
• Leader of the Council: Cllr Linda Evans

Speaking after her appointment, Cllr Evans said:
“It’s an honour to be elected as Council Leader and I look forward to working with the Cabinet and all members across the chamber for the benefit of the residents of Carmarthenshire.”

One death is linked to HMP Parc, one post-release from HMP Cardiff

TWO more deaths connected to Welsh prisons have been confirmed by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO), adding to what campaigners describe as a deepening crisis across the prison system in Wales.

The PPO has opened an investigation into the death of Kenneth Male, born 12 December 1957, who died on 22 November 2025 while serving his sentence at HMP/YOI Parc in Bridgend. The case appears in the Ombudsman’s official listings with the investigation currently marked as in progress.

Campaigners say his death is the 40th linked to Parc since 2022.

In a post shared widely on social media, campaign spokesman Zackery Lee Griffiths described the number of deaths as “the highest at any prison in England and Wales since 2022”, adding that bereaved families “could have been spared months or even years of grief if action had been taken earlier”.

A second new case has also been listed by the Ombudsman. Scott Price, born 12 February 1996, died on 13 November 2025, shortly after his release from HMP Cardiff. His death is categorised as post-release, with the PPO investigation also ongoing.

Both deaths will be subject to full independent investigations, which will examine the circumstances leading up to each case, the care provided, and any wider systemic issues.

Background: growing scrutiny of Welsh prison safety

The Herald has been reporting extensively on conditions at HMP Parc, including allegations of drug use, violence, failures in safeguarding, and patterns of deaths linked to synthetic drugs and medical emergencies.
Concerns have been raised repeatedly in the Senedd, with Welsh ministers and several MSs calling for urgent intervention and a full review of G4S’s running of the Bridgend facility.

The UK Government, which oversees justice and prisons in Wales, has so far resisted calls for removing the contract from G4S.

Campaigners say the latest death strengthens the case for major reform.

What happens next

The PPO will now conduct two independent investigations, with reports expected to be published publicly once completed. The Herald will continue to follow developments.

Illegal drugs operation uncovered at isolated Whitland property led to major Proceeds of Crime ruling

A FAMILY who ran a sophisticated cannabis factory from an isolated Carmarthenshire property have been ordered to repay more than £1 million in illegal profits.

Husband and wife Edward McCann, aged 65, and Linda McCann, aged 63, together with their son Daniel, aged 40, appeared at Swansea Crown Court today for a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing following their earlier convictions.

Police uncovered the family’s large-scale drug operation on 23 October 2020, when officers executed a warrant at their rural home in Blaenllain, near Whitland. Inside, they found a sophisticated setup producing herbal cannabis, cannabis resin and cannabis oil.

A detailed financial investigation estimated the potential wholesale value of the family’s drugs over a five-year period at between £1.79 million and £2.4 million, with a possible street value of up to £4.9 million.

At the POCA hearing, the court heard the McCanns’ available assets were agreed at £1,091,330. This figure included proceeds from the sale of two properties, a Mercedes, Porsche, and Harley-Davidson motorcycle, as well as valuable jewellery.

Judge Paul Thomas KC ordered the family to repay the full amount.

Detective Sergeant Owen Lock, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “Ongoing work by our economic crime team has taken the McCanns’ prison sentences one step further by ensuring they must also surrender the money and assets obtained through their criminal activity. We hope this serves as a clear warning to others — you cannot profit from crime.”