News
Councillor blocked from asking questions at Full Council

A COUNCILLOR’S quest to find out why the council is spending so much money on agency staff to cover a lack of social workers in Pembrokeshire has hit a stumbling block. The member says it is because officers don’t want him to be asking awkward questions about poor planning and management regarding out of hours mental health social work.
Cllr Paul Dowson, who represents Pembroke Dock Central ward has told The Herald that temporary staff are being charged to the cash strapped Authority at £50 to £60 per hour, plus agency fees – but little or nothing is being done to recruit full time social workers, to assist with the long term care of local people in need.
Cllr Dowson submitted questions to be raised at the Full Council meeting on Thursday, May 10.
He is questioning how much money has been spent on out of hours social workers (Approved Mental Health Professionals) per year.
Cllr Dowson also wants to know what is being done to recruit for the posts, and what is being done to address the poor management complaints that the leavers were making.
However the legal officer for the council, Claire Incledon, has ruled that the questions were too late and cannot be raised at the meeting next week – because the questions were received at 1.34am on May 25 and not before midnight on May 24.
Cllr Dowson said: “This 94 minute delay, probably caused by the councils own servers being slow, makes no actual difference to the Authority as Committee Services do not work during the night. I have also had it on good authority that amendments or corrections to at least one other member’s questions were accepted the next working day – clearly showing that the council is trying to hide something or has a problem with me.”
He added: “I have also submitted a question about fly-tipping and dog fouling. The council has not had anyone qualified to issue fines or penalties to people fly tipping or dog fouling in the Local Authority area. With the summer coming up and holiday makers on the way, we need to get dog fouling under control – and we have all seen on social media the disgusting level of fly-tipping recently – but not one person in the Local Authority is qualified to enforce the law. That is wrong.”
“As a councillor I have been working tirelessly to get an enforcement officer for the last twelve months, and frustratingly so far this has not happened. My second question to Full Council, which also has not been accepted, sought to address this issue. It cannot wait until the July meeting as by then we will be well into the summer.
“The council needs to stop hiding behind petty excuses and archaic bureaucracy, and allow members to ask the questions which are important for the county. I understand there is a need for rules and deadlines, but an email received minutes late is not important to the people of Pembrokeshire – but tens of thousands of pounds being wasted on agency staff covering a lack of social workers who are mental health trained, dogs fouling in an important tourist area with no one to enforce the law, and a fly-tipping problem which we are nowhere to having a grip on is important to the people of Pembrokeshire!
“I know I am not popular with some officers in the Council because I am not a nodding donkey and don’t toe the line. A couple of weeks ago I was in a meeting the Chief Executive’s office and for some reason the Council’s Legal Officer Claire Incledon was present. She butted in to the conversation, in my view, unfairly, and I told her that ‘I didn’t give a f**k about her legal opinion.’
“Officers need to remember that it is not the tail which wags the dog, but the dog that wags the tail. This is now an officer led council, and we the democratically elected representatives of the people need our voice to be heard at Full Council on important issues. It is not a nodding shop for retired professionals to cover their funeral plans, but the collective voice of Pembrokeshire.”
Crime
Tenby man charged after robbery incident

A MAN is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court next month after being charged in connection with a late-night incident in Tenby town centre.
Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that no one was injured during the disturbance, which took place at a restaurant in Tudor Square on the evening of Sunday, March 30.
Mohammed Miah, aged 44, has been charged with robbery, possession of a bladed article in a public place, and criminal damage.
He appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court earlier this month, where he was remanded in custody ahead of his next hearing at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, May 2.
Farming
Pembrokeshire Show elects first joint presidents

DAIRY FARMERS TIM AND MARGARET JOHNS HONOURED BY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
HAVERFORDWEST dairy farmers Tim and Margaret Johns have been unanimously elected as the first joint Presidents of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society.
The couple, who farm at Pencnwc in partnership with their son Graham, represent the third generation of their family to work the land. Their 550-acre holding in Castlemorris includes dairy cattle and the cultivation of both winter and spring cereals.
Margaret and Tim have a long-standing association with the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society and the County Show. Margaret, in particular, has achieved considerable success in equestrian showing at events including Royal Windsor, the Great Yorkshire Show, and the Royal Cornwall Show. She also founded and continues to run Castlemorris Equestrian and Pet Supplies from the farm.
Speaking following their appointment, Tim said: “Margaret and I work as a partnership. The County Show is a major part of Pembrokeshire and is an integral part of farming in the county. We are looking forward to the year ahead. We have chosen RABI and the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society as our charities to support over the next 12 months.”
During the Society’s Annual General Meeting, held recently at the Pembrokeshire Showground, Mr and Mrs James Evans were voted in as Presidents Elect.
Other appointments for 2025 include Miss Alys Owens, who was named as the Society’s Ambassador. Alys, who lives in Haverfordwest and works for Castell Howell, is an active member of Llysyfran YFC. She served as Club Secretary last year, a role for which she was named Club Secretary of the Year at County level. A talented musician, Alys plays the cornet with Goodwick Brass Band.
Outgoing President Adam Thorne used the occasion to thank all those who had supported him during his term in office.
Alys Owens, the 2025 Ambassador, is pictured between Margaret and Tim Johns, the 2025/26 Joint Presidents.
News
Casualty airlifted after fall on rocks at Manorbier

A PERSON was flown to hospital with a suspected broken ankle after falling on rocks at Manorbier on Sunday afternoon (April 13).
Emergency services were called shortly after 1:30pm, with Tenby RNLI, the Wales Air Ambulance, land paramedics, and coastguard teams from Tenby and St Govans attending.
Tenby’s inshore lifeboat launched first, with two crew members going ashore just as the air ambulance arrived to land nearby. They were soon joined by a land ambulance and coastguard rescue officers.
A stretcher was brought ashore from the all-weather lifeboat, and RNLI crew assisted in stabilising the casualty and carrying them up the beach for transfer into the waiting helicopter.
Once the airlift was complete, both lifeboats were stood down and returned to station.
It was the third call-out of the weekend for Tenby RNLI volunteers.
The first incident took place at 2:20pm on Friday (April 11), when the all-weather lifeboat was diverted from a training exercise following a report of paddleboarders possibly in difficulty near Manorbier. As the lifeboat arrived, the paddleboarders were confirmed safe ashore and the crew resumed their exercise.
Later that evening, at 9:15pm, the lifeboat launched again to assist the operator of a seven-metre rigid inflatable boat that had broken down around a mile south of Old Castle Head. The boat was towed safely back to Freshwater East, from where it had launched earlier in the day.
(Photo: File image)
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