News

Milford Haven School: Police called over 120 times in just two years

Published

7 years ago

January 17, 2019

FIGURES obtained by The Pembrokeshire Herald have highlighted the scale of police involvement in Milford Haven School over the last few years.

The investigation comes days after police attended the school to break up a fight between pupils. A video of that incident went viral on social media.

Since that story broke, a teacher at Milford Haven School has spoken to The Pembrokeshire Herald on condition that they are not named in this newspaper.

The Herald was told by the member of staff: “Some of the pupils at the school are totally out of control. The police are called often, sometimes several times in one week.

Our source added: “I would say that there are near riot conditions. I know that some of the staff have spent time off work, and they have told me that this is because of stress-related issues.”

The Herald checked with the local authority who said that emergency services had attended Milford Haven school 127 times since January 2017.

Of these calls, 110 were to the police’s 101 service, and 17 were to the 999 emergency call centre.

It is not known at this stage of the 999 calls how many were to ambulance or fire brigade – but it is understood from our source that nearly all of these calls were to Dyfed-Powys Police.

In 2017 there were 63 calls to the 101 service and eight to the 999 service.

In 2018 there were 45 calls to 101 and again eight calls to the 999 service.

So far in 2019, just days into the new term there have been two calls to 101 and one 999 call.

The council said that these figures, which they supplied, ‘show 101 calls declining and 999 calls stable’.

As the school is open for 190 days a year, the numbers demonstrate that the police are contacted on average two or three times a week during term time.

A spokesperson for Pembrokeshire County Council said: “It is important to point out that 101 calls cover a range of issues and 999 could be for the other emergency services, ambulance and fire.

The spokesperson added: “The police do attend the school for a variety of reasons, for example, if a young person is reported missing; to deliver assemblies to students, lunchtime workshop.”

In relation to work-related stress, the Council said: “There are no teachers currently absent from work with work-related stress.”

The council added, in a statement: “The school wishes to make clear that it takes the safety of pupils and staff very seriously and all incidents are dealt with under tested policies and procedures.

“This ensures that pupils are provided with the best possible opportunities to achieve their potential. The school would like to thank parents/carers and the wider community for their continued support.”

In December police were carrying out high visibility searches to stop drugs being brought into the school.

Police officers along with a drugs dog sent time on the school premises where some pupils were searched – but nothing was found.

PC Adam Bateman said: “This was a proactive exercise to show pupils at the school that if they thought about taking drugs onto school grounds we would be able to find them.

“As a precautionary measure, an area of the school grounds was searched by the police dog in order to establish whether any drugs were present.”

Headteacher Ceri-Ann Morris said: “We have confidence that this is an effective part of an overall drugs education strategy.”

Local Government

Armed Forces flag flies over County Hall

Published

1 hour ago

June 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE ARMED FORCES flag is flying proudly at County Hall this week ahead of Armed Forces Day on Saturday, June 27.

Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Tessa Hodgson, and the Council’s Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Simon Hancock were among those who marked the flag raising on Monday morning (June 22).

Also present were the Chairman of Council, Cllr Delme Harries, the Chief Executive, Will Bramble and the Regional Armed Forces Covenant Liaison Officer, Hayley Edwards.

Cllr Hancock said: “It is always a very proud moment to see the Armed Forces Flag flying over County Hall.

“Armed Forces Day is a chance to show our deep appreciation for the men and women who serve, as well as the families and communities who support them.

“Our county has a rich history of connection with the Armed Forces, and we are proud to uphold and strengthen that bond.

“As a Council we are committed to ensuring that members of the Armed Forces community in Pembrokeshire receive the recognition and support they truly deserve and we are proud to be a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award holder.”

Crime

Accused Milford Haven rapist to stand trial at Crown Court

Published

2 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN man has appeared before magistrates accused of rape and sexual assault.

James Kershaw, 46, is charged with raping a woman in Milford Haven between February 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014.

He also faces a charge of sexually assaulting a female over the age of 13 by penetration with his finger between December 1 and December 30, 2012.

Kershaw appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Jun 23) by video link and denied both charges.

Due to the seriousness of the allegations, magistrates declined jurisdiction and sent the case to Swansea Crown Court, where Kershaw is due to appear for a pre-trial hearing on July 24.

He was released on conditional bail, with the sole condition that he must not contact the complainant.

News

Bus overturns in major incident near Kidwelly

Published

3 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

All passengers rescued as emergency services remain at scene

A BUS overturned on the A484 between Kidwelly and Ferryside on Tuesday (Jun 23), prompting a major emergency response and lengthy road closures.

The incident happened shortly after 12:20pm near the Kidwelly roundabout at Parc y Bocs.

Emergency services, including firefighters from Kidwelly, Carmarthen and Tumble, were sent to the scene following reports of a serious collision involving the bus.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that all passengers were safely removed from the vehicle.

A spokesperson said: “All passengers have been safely removed from the bus and are receiving appropriate care.”

A rest centre has been established at the John Burns Centre in Kidwelly, where welfare arrangements are being made for those involved.

The scale of the incident led Dyfed-Powys Police to declare a major incident earlier in the day, with officers urging members of the public to avoid the area.

The A484 remains closed between the Kidwelly roundabout at Parc y Bocs and Llandyfaelog while emergency services continue their response and carry out investigations into the cause of the crash.

Police, ambulance and fire crews remain at the scene.

Motorists are being advised to find alternative routes and are warned that the road is expected to remain closed for a considerable time.

Emergency services have also issued advice for drivers caught in congestion during the hot weather, urging people to stay hydrated, keep vehicles ventilated and never leave children, vulnerable adults or pets inside parked vehicles.

The cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed.