A PEMBROKESHIRE woman has accused the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of pursuing a “malicious prosecution” after she was charged with breaching a court-imposed restraining order.

Marie Thomas, aged 39, of Beach Road, Llanreath, Pembroke Dock, was made subject to the order on August 8, 2024. It prohibits her from contacting Lindsey Grover either directly or indirectly, and from making any reference to her on social media or other electronic platforms.

However, the Crown alleges that on November 17, Thomas entered material onto social media which referred directly to Ms Grover, in breach of the order.

This week, Thomas appeared before District Judge Mark Layton at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court where she denied the offence. She elected for the matter to be tried in the Crown Court and told the judge she would be representing herself.

“There is no better person to shed light on the truth,” she said. “This is an injustice. I’m going to prove this and take on the prosecution for malicious prosecution. I have evidence… and I’m about to shed light on the case.”

Thomas was granted conditional bail ahead of her trial, which is scheduled to begin on May 16. Her bail conditions prohibit her from contacting Lindsey Grover directly or indirectly and from making any reference to her on social media.

Royal tells Scouts the outdoors brings her calm in a hectic world

THE PRINCESS OF WALES returned to the Lake District this week, joining Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and a group of young Scouts for a day of adventure and reflection in the great outdoors.

In a film shared on social media, Her Royal Highness is seen leading nine Scouts and Explorer Scouts on a hike through woodland at the Scout Adventures Centre, Great Tower, before making their way to the shores of Lake Windermere.

The outing was organised to promote the wellbeing benefits of nature and encourage more people to volunteer with the Scout movement, which currently has over 100,000 young people waiting to join.

During the day, the young participants planned their walking route with the Princess and explored the local landscape, learning about the area’s plants and wildlife. At the end of the activity, Her Royal Highness awarded each Scout their Naturalist badge, recognising their new knowledge of the natural world.

The group included four Explorer Scouts from the 1st Buddha’s Light Scout Group in Stretford, Greater Manchester, and five Scouts from the 1st Ulverston Scout Group in Cumbria.

‘Reconnection and peace’

Speaking during the film, the Princess said: “I find it a very spiritual and very intense emotional reconnection, I suppose, in these environments. Not everyone has the same relationship with nature, but for me, it’s a place to find balance, peace, and a sense of calm in what is otherwise a very busy world.”

The visit marked a return to familiar ground for the Princess, who completed her Scout volunteer training at the same Great Tower centre in 2013 while living in Anglesey. She has remained a committed supporter of the organisation ever since and became Joint President of the Scouts in 2020.

This was also her first public engagement with Dwayne Fields, who was appointed the 11th Chief Scout in September 2024. In a message to him following his appointment, the Princess said: “The Scouts is such an incredible organisation, teaching #SkillsForLife and making a huge difference to young people across the country. Looking forward to working with you! C.”

Encouraging volunteers

Speaking after the hike, Dwayne Fields said: “It was an absolute honour to be joined by our Joint President, The Princess of Wales, at Great Tower. Our walk with Scouts and Explorers was a powerful reminder that we are at our best in the outdoors. Spending time in nature improves our physical and mental wellbeing, and the positivity shown by everyone was genuinely inspiring.

“But these kinds of experiences are only possible if we have enough local volunteers. We want to welcome more young people into Scouts, and adults can get involved flexibly—gaining new skills, boosting their wellbeing, and making new friends in the process.”

Carl Hankinson, UK Chief Volunteer, added: “We’re incredibly grateful to the Princess for supporting us and encouraging young people to discover the outdoors. She and the Chief Scout showed what Scouts is all about—building confidence, learning skills for life, and creating opportunities for everyone, no matter their background.”

One in 14 households affected as housing crisis deepens

MORE than 94,000 households in Wales are waiting for a social home—equivalent to one in every fourteen homes across the country.

The figures, obtained by Shelter Cymru through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every local authority in Wales, reveal the scale of the housing emergency. In total, the waiting lists cover approximately 170,000 people, including around 45,000 children.

Despite the mounting demand, just 2,600 new social homes were built in Wales last year. At this rate, it would take 35 years to meet the current need, campaigners have warned.

The charity is calling for urgent action and a step change in investment from the Welsh Government, warning that the housing crisis is having a devastating impact on individuals and families—particularly single-parent households, who are disproportionately represented on waiting lists.

Shelter Cymru is supporting Louise*, a single mother living in temporary accommodation with her two children after being made homeless due to rent arrears. Louise said: “It’s horrendous because you’re living in limbo. You live a completely different life because you don’t know what’s next. All I want is somewhere permanent so I can get my life back to normal, so I can get a job again. But it’s just the waiting. We’re not able to make plans. We’re stuck here. You can’t think about planning your future.”

Ruth Power, CEO of Shelter Cymru, said the figures should serve as a wake-up call.

“These new figures are a wake-up call,” she said. “It is unacceptable that more than 94,000 households are forced to wait years for a place they can call home. We must confront the reality that, as a nation, we are failing to meet the needs of our communities.

“Investing in social homes is a moral obligation; it is an investment in a stable foundation for people’s lives, health and futures. But it’s also a practical solution to a pressing problem. If we don’t deliver more social homes, it will ramp up the financial pressures on local authorities that are already struggling to cope with local demand.”

Shelter Cymru is calling on the Welsh Government to increase funding to build or acquire new social homes and develop a clear national strategy. The charity says social homes must be placed at the heart of housing policy in Wales.

The Welsh Government has committed to delivering 20,000 new social homes by the end of 2026, but Shelter Cymru and its partners say this will not be enough.

Alicja Zalesinska, Chief Executive of Tai Pawb and a leader of the “Back the Bill” campaign, said: “The positive steps from Welsh Government aimed at meeting people’s housing needs clearly fall short of the fundamental change necessary to address the housing emergency.

“I have no doubt that this need for change is felt deeply by the 170,000 people on the waiting lists, who simply cannot wait 35 years for their housing situation to be resolved.

“That’s why the Back the Bill coalition believes that addressing the housing crisis must be a central mission for the government—and it can only be achieved by hardwiring this commitment into Welsh legislation by introducing the right to a good home.”

Shelter Cymru is working with the Bevan Foundation to campaign for long-term reforms to the social housing system and boost the supply of affordable homes.

*Name changed to protect identity.