News

Council will not recommend special measures for Hywel Dda

Published

7 years ago

February 21, 2019

PEMBROKESHIRE County Council will not be recommending that Hywel Dda University Health Board should be placed into special measures.

Cllr Paul Dowson’s notice of motion calling for them do so was debated at the Full Council meeting on Thursday (Feb 21).

When it was put to the vote, Cllrs John Cole, Phil Kidney, Stephen Joseph and Jon Harvey were the only four to join Cllr Dowson in supporting his motion.

The motion was previously debated at the Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny meeting in January where it was decided to hold a seminar, closed to members of the public, to discuss it further.

Cllr Dowson had pointed out in his supporting statement that the Health Board had missed a number of targets and has a deficit of nearly £70m.
However it was felt that placing the board in special measures would be a ‘backwards step’ and ‘make the situation worse’.

At Thursday’s meeting, Cllr Vic Dennis said he could not support the motion saying: “It doesn’t do anything to support the morale of staff.”

Cllr Jamie Adams thanked the Scrutiny chair for calling the seminar and said there were assurances that there would be a recovery in the Board’s performance.

He added: “No Health Board is working to budget in Wales, simply suggesting that one of our key strategic partners should be placed in special measures is dangerous. I am amazed that any cabinet member has not taken part in the discussion so far.
“It would be highly detrimental to social care services if Hywel Dda was to be placed in special measures. The lack of confidence it inevitably brings would be difficult to get out of.”

Cllr Jonathan Preston said: “There is very little meat on the bone as to what special measures will look like. We will not be able to call the Health Board in to County Hall, we would lose that control and the dialogue we have with them will be gone.”

Cllr Mike John said: “I have challenged Hywel Dda on many occasions and met with the Chief Executive. I have attended the marches and done what I can for the voice of the people but I can’t see the benefit of handing over control to Cardiff.
“I would rather keep it with Hywel Dda and call them in when necessary. There is a plan in place that would bring children’s services back to Pembrokeshire and I suggest we monitor them closely.”

Cllr Dowson stated that a number of members had been concerned with what it would look like for the Council but said they should be concerned about how it looked to the people of the county.

He also called for a recorded vote but that was not supported.

Council Leader David Simpson said: “If the new hospital was built in Narberth it would be the best thing for my constituents, but that’s not what I want, what I want is for the hospital to be built, I don’t want downgrading of services. What we’ve got at the moment we want to keep.
“I don’t believe putting Hywel Dda in special measures will do us any good, it would be a backwards step.”

Cllr Paul Rapi said: “They are doing their best to put the wrongs right and the clinicians are taking on the role of taking forward the service.
“They are encouraging the type of people they need but they are not being encouraged down the M4 and that leaves us with shortages in the field. Special measures is not going to help, I think it would make the situation worse and have a negative effect.”

It was then put to the vote but a clear majority were against recommending that the Health Board be placed in special measures.

Crime

Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman’s body found in Cardigan boatyard

Published

14 minutes ago

November 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Victim’s family informed as officers appeal for witnesses who were near the scene from Thursday night

POLICE have launched a murder investigation following the discovery of a woman’s body at a boatyard in Cardigan.

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to Netpool Boatyard at around 12:35pm on Saturday (Nov 15) after the body of a woman was found.

A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.

The woman’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

There has been an increased police presence in the town since Saturday afternoon, with officers cordoning off the Netpool slipway and nearby access roads. Late on Saturday night, a boat covered in black plastic sheeting was removed from the scene as part of the ongoing forensic investigation.

Detectives are appealing for information from anyone who may have been at, or seen activity around, the boatyard from 9:00pm on Thursday, November 13 onwards.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police via the website https://orlo.uk/olxMg, email [email protected], or call 101, quoting reference 144 of November 15. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Community

Best of Brass concert set to light up St Davids Cathedral

Published

24 minutes ago

November 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

TWO of Wales’ finest brass bands will come together next month for a spectacular evening of music at one of the county’s most iconic venues.

The Goodwick Brass Band will perform in concert with the world-number-one ranked Cory Band at St Davids Cathedral on Saturday, December 3, 2016, at 7:30pm.

Organisers say the event, titled Best of Brass, promises an unforgettable night for music lovers, showcasing the very best in Welsh brass banding. The Cory Band, famed for their rich sound and innovative performances, will share the stage with Goodwick Brass Band, Pembrokeshire’s own national champions, in what is expected to be a sell-out concert.

The concert takes place by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter of St Davids Cathedral, offering a rare chance to hear two elite ensembles perform within the stunning acoustics of the historic setting.

Tickets are priced at £15, £12, and £10, and are available from West Wales Arts Centre, Goodwick Post Office, St David’s Bookshop, Musicians World in Haverfordwest, and Yr Hen Emporium in Cardigan, or directly from any band member.

Entertainment

Local premiere for S4C documentary on Pembrokeshire’s ‘Cannabis Cove’

Published

2 hours ago

November 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Exclusive screening revisits one of Wales’ most remarkable police operations

A TWO-PART documentary exploring a major drugs bust that stunned a quiet Pembrokeshire seaside town will have its exclusive English-language premiere in Newport next week.

Cannabis Cove: Operation Seal Bay, produced for S4C, takes viewers back to 1983, when the peace of Newport was shattered by one of the most extraordinary police investigations in Welsh criminal history.

That summer, the town became the unlikely centre of an international smuggling ring after a local fisherman, Andy Burgess, spotted something unusual at a remote beach called Pwll Coch—known locally as Seal Bay.

Soon after, authorities discovered a concealed hatch on nearby Traeth Cell Hywel. Beneath it lay a man-made underground chamber stocked with food, radio equipment and fibreglass resin — “like something straight out of James Bond.”

The mystery unfolds

As detectives began to investigate, residents reported strange activity around Newport — unfamiliar luxury cars on rural lanes, and strangers flashing £50 notes in local pubs.

What followed was a sprawling investigation that reached from Pembrokeshire to Scandinavia and the Middle East. Within days, three men — Robin Boswell, Ken Dewar, and escaped drug trafficker Sam Spanggaard — were arrested.

However, the case soon hit a snag: the drugs had disappeared. Without the contraband, the entire prosecution risked collapse. Detectives began to suspect there was a local connection — someone who knew the coastline well.

Forty years on

More than four decades later, S4C’s new documentary returns to the mystery with rare interviews, archive footage, and dramatic re-enactments.

For the first time, it includes testimony from a local man — known only as “Jim” — whose words are voiced by an actor to protect his identity. “Jim,” who once modified cars for Boswell, became unwittingly entangled in a smuggling network stretching from Pembrokeshire to Morocco and beyond.

The two episodes retrace both the discovery of the secret underground chamber and the international scope of the operation that followed.

Local resident Wendy Phillips recalled: “Everyone knew everyone. Everyone knew each other’s business — that’s just how you were brought up.”

Screening in Newport

The pre-broadcast English-language screening of Cannabis Cove: Operation Seal Bay will take place at 6:30pm on Thursday, November 20, at Canolfan Bethlehem, Upper West Street, Newport.

Following the screening, there will be a Q&A session with retired detectives Don Evans and John Daniels, who worked on the original case, alongside the film’s director James Hale.

Entry is free, but donations will be taken on the door to support Canolfan Bethlehem.

Cannabis Cove: Operation Seal Bay airs on S4C later this month.