News
WASPI campaigners and council join forces to overturn unjust pension rules

PEMBROKESHIRE WOMEN AGAINST STATE PENSION INJUSTICE (WASPI) has taken the first step to help challenge a recent High Court decision.
It comes as Pembrokeshire County Council’s Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered a Notice of Motion which had been submitted by Cllr Thomas Tudor last month for the Authority to call on the government to make changes to a policy which has left many women born in the 1950’s ‘living in hardship’.
Thomas Tudor told The Herald: “This issue affects many women in Pembrokeshire including women from my Ward the Castle Ward of Haverfordwest hence the reason for tabling this Notice of motion to Pembrokeshire County Council.”
On October 3, the Royal Courts of Justice announced that the two justices who heard the case in June had found that the 3.8m women in the UK had not been discriminated against when their state pension age was put back by several years with little or no notice.
“We were rather shell shocked when we heard the decision to dismiss it and put it back in the hands of the Government to resolve” said Pembrokeshire WASPI Organiser, Jackie Gilderdale.
“We are convinced that the 7,000 women in Pembrokeshire, born in the 1950s who have been cheated out of several years of the pensions they paid into, have been treated unfairly.
“We heard on October 24th that enough money had been raised, so the request for permission to appeal the decision has been lodged with the High Court.
“The speed with which the funding target was met shows the strength of feeling among 1950s women and their supporters.”
A date for the hearing has not yet been set but is expected to be in November. WASPI continue to support the Backto60s campaign, whilst maintaining their own ask for transitional payments and compensation for ALL 1950s women.

Cllr Tom Tudor: Leads call for action
Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee on considered the following motion: “Pembrokeshire County Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification. Hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little/no/personal notification of the changes. Some women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age. Many women born in the 1950’s are living in hardship. Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences. Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment.
“Women born in this decade from Pembrokeshire are suffering financially. These women have worked hard, raised families and paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60. It is not the pension age itself that is in dispute – it is widely accepted that women and men
should retire at the same time. The issue is that the rise in the women’s state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without enough notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements.
“Pembrokeshire County Council calls upon the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6th April 1951, so that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.”
News
A40 closed after serious crash near Wolfscastle

AIR AMBULANCE LANDS AT SCENE AS TRAFFIC DISRUPTED
THE A40 between Wolfscastle and Haverfordwest was closed in both directions on Friday afternoon (Apr 11) following a serious road traffic collision.
The crash, which was first reported at 12:10pm, prompted a significant emergency services response, including Dyfed-Powys Police and the Wales Air Ambulance, which was seen landing at the scene shortly after the incident.
AA Roadwatch confirmed that the road was shut in both directions, with slow-moving traffic and congestion reported in the surrounding area for several hours after the collision.
Police urged motorists to avoid the area and to seek alternative routes while emergency crews dealt with the incident.
At the time of writing, no official update has been given on the number of vehicles involved or whether there were any injuries. Dyfed-Powys Police have been approached for comment.
Traffic disruption remains ongoing, with live road maps showing long delays approaching Haverfordwest from the east.
More updates will follow as information becomes available.
Crime
Police investigate alleged assault at Milford Haven property

OFFICERS from Dyfed-Powys Police have been maintaining a presence at a property on Marble Hall Road, Milford Haven, as part of an ongoing investigation into an assault.
The Herald understands that the front door of the property has been boarded up with plywood, prompting concern and speculation from local residents.

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Officers have been undertaking scene preservation in relation to an investigation of assault.”
No further details have been released at this stage, and it is not yet known whether any arrests have been made.
Residents told The Herald they noticed police activity at the address earlier this week, with officers attending the property and cordoning off the area.
The Herald will provide further updates as more information becomes available.
Business
Haverfordwest opticians celebrate 100 years of long service

WALES’ LARGEST Specsavers store is celebrating a series of individual long service milestones, with nine team members collectively marking a century of long service in 2025.
At the heart of the celebrations is Andy Britton, ophthalmic director at Specsavers Haverfordwest, who has worked at the company for 20 years.
Since becoming a partner in 2006, Mr Britton has overseen the store’s transformation from a small site with just four test rooms to a state-of-the-art £1.2 million premises at 21 Riverside Quay. The enhanced store now boasts 14 test rooms equipped with cutting edge technology and a significantly larger team, growing from 11 to 45 employees.
Haverfordwest residents benefit from Mr Britton’s clinical expertise – he holds multiple postgraduate diplomas that allow him to prescribe medication directly to customers, helping to ease pressure on local GP surgeries and hospitals. He has also led the introduction of enhanced services, including glaucoma monitoring, ensuring more people can access specialist care closer to home.
Reflecting on his career, Mr Britton says: ‘It’s been a privilege to serve the Haverfordwest community over the last 20 years. I’m proud of the team we’ve built and the progress we’ve made – all with the aim of delivering the best possible care for our customers.’
Mr Britton’s anniversary was celebrated alongside colleagues Elise Evans, Gareth Riley and Carrie Lewis-Jones – each marking 15 years with Specsavers – as well as other team members celebrating 10 and five-year milestones.
Fellow director, Wayne Jones, was among those celebrating five years with the business, after joining the Haverfordwest store in 2020. He was named a finalist for Optometrist of the Year at the Optometry Wales Awards in 2023 and then in 2024, joined forces with Mr Britton as retail director of the store.
Commenting on the milestone, Mr Jones says: ‘Our team’s experience and dedication are what makes Specsavers Haverfordwest so special. Reaching 100 years of individual long service milestones in 2025 is something we’re incredibly proud of. It’s a real testament to the commitment of our colleagues, and we look forward to many more successful years ahead.’
To mark the occasion, the directors hosted an in-store awards ceremony, presenting certificates and bottles of champagne to the nine long-serving team members celebrating.
Specsavers Haverfordwest is open seven days a week. To find out more information about Specsavers in Haverfordwest, request an appointment or browse the online store, visit https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/haverfordwest.
Additionally, to make eye health accessible to all, the store offers a Home Visits service for those unable to leave their homes unaccompanied due to disability or illness.
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