News
Update on Lockdown easing measures from First Minister Mark Drakeford

WELSH MINISTERS are required to review the need for the requirements and restrictions and their proportionality every 21 days.
The scientific and medical advice continues to show the level of coronavirus transmission in Wales remains low. However, the rise in cases we can see in other parts of the UK and further afield continues to remind us that the threat from the virus has not gone away. We are learning the lessons from those places, which indicates people meeting indoors remains a significant risk.
It is a priority for Welsh Government that schools in Wales should be able to open in September as planned. All the easements we make to restrictions have a cumulative effect on transmission rates and the headroom we have available. We will use the headroom we have to ensure children can resume their education next month.
In line with advice from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales and the scientific evidence of the risks from indoor settings, the conditions still do not permit me to ease the general restrictions on the ability of people to meet indoors. This is kept under continuous review and changes will be made when it is safe to do so.
This still means that we must not visit someone else’s home indoors unless we are part of an extended household with them or providing care. It also means we can only visit a business or premises indoors, such as a pub or restaurant, with members of our own household or extended household. It is, of course, possible to meet different people outdoors as long as social distancing is maintained.
Mr Drakeford said “We fully appreciate how difficult these continued restrictions can feel and the negative effects they might have on people’s wellbeing. Therefore during this review period I am keen to provide relaxations to recognise the vital importance everyone places on being able to spend time with family and friends.”
The First Minister said that he can confirm that up to four households will be able to join together in an extended household from Saturday 22 August. This might take the form of two existing extended households joining together, or households not already part of one to join existing or new extended households.
Extended households have enabled families be reunited and helped those suffering from loneliness and isolation. They have also supported caring arrangements. I know families have had to make difficult choices however in deciding with whom they should form their extended household.
This change will benefit those previously not able to form an extended household as well as providing opportunities for people to meet with more friends and family. More people can visit each other indoors, go out and do things together, and stay overnight without social distancing.
Changes will also be brought forward to the Regulations to allow for some limited indoor celebrations following a wedding, civil partnership, or funeral for up to 30 people from 22 August. For now, these will be limited in scope, such as an organised meal in a hotel or restaurant, and must take place in a regulated setting. This will ensure that all reasonable measures are taken to limit the risks of infection and spread of coronavirus. We will learn the lessons from this relaxation to consider how they might be applied to other events in the future.
The risk from coronavirus is much lower outdoors, which has led to us easing restrictions more quickly in those areas. Our approach throughout this process has been to plan, where necessary pilot activity to learn lessons, and then ease restrictions further. Over the next few weeks we will pilot some limited outdoor events for up to 100 people.
With an aim to do this through proposals that are in development for:
• Outdoor theatre events organised by Theatr Clwyd (over weekends beginning Friday 27 August);
• Small scale car rally at Trac Mon on Ynys Mon; and
• Welsh Triathlon’s planned ‘Return to Racing’ competition at Pembrey Country Park.
To be clear, no other outdoor events of this sort will be allowed during the next three weeks. These pilots are being trialled to enable us to learn lessons, in the hope that more such events can be permitted in future.
Looking forward to the remainder of the three weeks of this review, we will use this time to look at how we can safely restart more activity indoors. This is important preparation for the autumn and winter when options to meet outdoors become less possible.
A number of people, including the Older People’s Commissioner, have raised the growing concern about the impact restrictions on visiting care homes is having on people’s emotional, mental and even physical health. I understand the distress this is causing.
The Welsh Government has been working closely with partners, to develop guidance that sets out the stringent considerations that care home providers should take in order safely to resume indoor visits. Everybody is concerned to ensure we prevent the spread of the virus amongst our most vulnerable citizens.
The intention is to provide for indoor visits to recommence from Saturday 29 August subject to the strict controls set out in the guidance and conditions remaining favourable.
Subject to the completion of final preparatory work, casinos in Wales will also be able to reopen on Saturday 29 August.
Mark Drakeford said: “Once again I am grateful to the people of Wales for their support as we collectively Keep Wales Safe.”
We will publicise a summary of all the key dates as soon as we have the information.
Pembrokeshire County Council Leader, Councillor David Simpson, has provided a further coronavirus update for Friday, 21st August, as follows:
‘Hello to you all. I hope you are all keeping well.
‘The last week we have seen mixed weather across our county and we are now seeing Storm Ellen battering our county.
‘It can be argued that we have been dealing with Storm Covid-19 since March; this has been a long road and testing for all of us.
‘I do feel the last few weeks has given us all hope and it is nice to see people enjoying themselves across the whole county. However, without sounding to critical or authoritative, we all need to maintain social distancing.
‘As I said last week, we are all making small steps but these steps are moving us forward to a more normal position.
‘I suppose going back to normal is something that will take a long time so we are now carving out for ourselves a new normal and we have to adjust to different ways.
‘I’m very pleased to hear that visitors are spreading themselves across all of the county and relieving pressures on our traditional tourist “hot spots.” We have a beautiful county, so please explore all of it.
‘This week as an Authority we have seen some of our services re-opening such as fitness suites at our leisure centres and access to computers in our libraries.
‘I would like to congratulate all our students, on their recent exam results.
‘Awaiting the results is always a stressful time, so I want to thank all our students for the way they changed and adapted the schooling regime during Covid-19. As an Authority we are preparing and looking forward to the new school term in September.
‘I also want to thank the team in our Contact Centre who have carried on dealing with calls, emails and service requests throughout the pandemic.
‘I appreciate that at times they receive a high volume of calls and customers can be in a queue.
‘Just to remind everyone, we can also handle service requests via the My Account facility on our website:
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/my-account
or by asking Penfro, the Council’s chatbot, which appears on all of our website pages.
‘You can also pay your Council bills online at:
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/make-a-payment
or by using our automated payment line on 01437 775164 available 24 hours, seven days a week.
‘So once again, we head into another weekend and I hope you all have time to relax and enjoy days out.
‘The following coronavirus-related press releases have been issued since my previous update last Friday:
• County Views With A Safety Message:
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/newsroom/stunning-county-views-with-a-message
• Keeping Care Providers Safe:
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/newsroom/pride-at-hard-work-to-keep-county-care-providers-safe
• Hospitality Outlets Reminded About New Grant:
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/newsroom/bars-cafes-and-restaurants-urged-not-to-miss-out-on-new-grant
• Haverfordwest Airport Partially Re-Opens:
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/newsroom/airport-partially-re-opens-to-visiting-pilots
• Schools Re-Opening Information:
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/newsroom/keep-up-to-date-with-school-re-opening-information
• Childcare Grants:
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/newsroom/council-offers-childcare-grants
• Promoting Social Distancing:
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/newsroom/banners-promote-social-distancing
‘Public Health Wales is updating and adding to their resources regularly. Please find all assets here: https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest-information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-resources/
‘Also, please keep an eye on our newsroom at: https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/newsroom
‘For service updates visit: https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/emergency-planning/service-changes
‘And to get daily email updates, log onto our website and sign into My Account at:
https://myaccount.pembrokeshire.gov.uk
‘Remember, please travel safely.’
Useful links:
• www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus
• www.sir-benfro.gov.uk/coronafeirws
• https://phw.nhs.wales/
• Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru – Coronafeirws Newydd (COVID-19) – Cyngor hunan-ynysu
• https://gov.wales/coronavirus
Farming
Pembrokeshire dairy farmer urges the industry to seize CPD opportunities

CONTINUING professional development (CPD) is an anticipated mandatory requirement for all farm businesses in Wales which enter the Welsh Government’s proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). Due to start on 1 January next year, the version of the SFS currently being considered includes the requirement to complete a minimum of six hours of learning, plus an element of Health & Safety, every year, for each business.
Well-known Pembrokeshire dairy farmer Stephen James, FRAgS of Gelliolau, Clynderwen says this is a positive step forward for Welsh farming. Mr James welcomed the Welsh Government’s response to the last SFS consultation, which resulted in a decision to make the training requirement more flexible and inclusive by including short courses, online training modules, attendance at demonstration days, discussion groups and other knowledge transfer activities eligible for CPD.
“Committing to learning will help equip farmers and all those working in the land-based industries with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive and prosper in today’s rapidly changing rural landscape,” says Mr James, who was recently awarded Lantra Cymru’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Most professions insist on some level of CPD and this approach will benefit Welsh agriculture significantly, helping farmers to stay viable, resilient and competitive.
“Whatever age we are and however experienced we might me, the onus is on us as an industry to have the mindset that embraces personal development, which in turn leads to business development.”
Working together will create a professional, efficient and sustainable sector
“Welsh Government provides a wealth of support for rural businesses and thanks to organisations including Farming Connect, Lantra Cymru, our levy boards and others, the industry is working collaboratively to create a more professional, efficient and sustainable farming sector that can adapt to changing policies and market demands while achieving the highest standards of environmental stewardship.
“If we fail to take advantage of all this support and don’t learn about innovation, invest in new technologies, adopt best practice and find more efficient, cost-effective ways of sustainable land, livestock and business management, we risk losing out in today’s evolving markets.
“To safeguard the future of family farms for future generations, we need to focus on farming sustainably and comply with regulations, alongside working towards stronger business performance and achieving optimum productivity levels,” said Mr. James.
Finding solutions to challenges
Mr James, a well-known and well-respected rural figurehead, combines hands-on regenerative farming at the 600-acre family dairy farm he runs in partnership with his son Daniel, alongside numerous public-facing roles. A passionate advocate for young and new entrants, Mr James has been at the forefront of rural affairs in Wales for over 40 years. Chair of the Wales Animal Health & Welfare Framework since 2018, he is a past president of the NFU Cymru, remains closely associated with Wales YFC and has served with numerous agricultural organisations, not only within Wales but internationally. He has advised both the Welsh and UK Governments, former European Commission bodies and remains a vocal and influential figure within many of agriculture’s key stakeholder organisations, including through his longstanding membership of the Farming Connect Programme Board.
“We all recognise that our industry is under pressure. Climate and nature emergencies, market pressures, changing consumer demands and the requirement for sustainable land management which protects the environment, present us all with daily challenges.
“If we stay informed, we stay prepared, we stay adaptable and resilient,” said Mr James who emphasised that it is the responsibility of all those working in the land-based sectors to take full advantage of the wealth of support, guidance, events and training that’s available.
“The level of support available in Wales is the envy of many other farming nations and it’s essential we make full use of this.”
Stay informed, prepared and adaptable
“The transition to the Welsh Government’s proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) heralds change but brings new opportunities too and will transform the way we manage our land, our livestock and our businesses for the better across all sectors, combining sustainable land management with profitability.
“As environmental custodians, it is our responsibility to professionalise and modernise the industry, to protect what we have for the next generation – upskilling must be a key component of this,” said Mr. James.
Eligible farmers registered with Farming Connect can access a range of fully-funded or subsidised training options including face-to-face accredited courses, e-learning modules and knowledge transfer options from key industry experts including Animal Health & Welfare training workshops, all eligible for CPD.
For further information on Farming Connect’s skills, training and knowledge transfer provision, visit https://businesswales.gov.wales/farmingconnect/business/skills-and-training or contact your local development officer.
Crime
John Cooper appeal file still under review, but CCRC says process ‘will take time’

THE CRIMINAL CASES REVIEW COMMISSION has confirmed that its review of John Cooper’s convictions remains ongoing, with no fixed timeline for a decision. The process, described as extensive due to the volume of evidence and the potential need for expert analysis, is expected to continue well into 2025, with an update likely in October.
Cooper, who is serving a life sentence for the murders of Richard and Helen Thomas in 1985 and Peter and Gwenda Dixon in 1989, applied to the CCRC last year for a review of his convictions. Unlike many applications, which are dismissed early, Cooper’s case has progressed further than most, with dedicated case workers assigned—suggesting it is being taken seriously.

A spokesperson for the CCRC told The Herald on Monday (Mar 10): “Reviews can often be extensive, particularly when there is a lot of evidence to analyse; if we need to consider new case law or instruct scientific experts. A more complicated review can take many months, or even years.”
Sources close to the matter indicate that Cooper’s application, which exceeds 1,000 pages, is well-researched and has met the threshold for further scrutiny. While the CCRC operates under strict resource constraints, it is understood that this case is receiving significant attention.
Despite the high-profile nature of Cooper’s original trial, particularly following the ITV drama The Pembrokeshire Murders, the CCRC review has received little media coverage so far.
Cooper has always maintained his innocence, though previous appeals have failed.
If the CCRC ultimately refers his case to the Court of Appeal, it would be a significant legal development.
When approached for comment, Dyfed-Powys Police told The Herald: “We will comply with our obligations in any judicial process, but consider it inappropriate to provide specific comments at this time.”

The CCRC plays a crucial role in determining whether there are any anomalies in Cooper’s conviction or sentencing. If any are identified, the case will be referred to the Court of Appeal.
Cooper’s case gained national attention partly due to its dramatization in the ITV series The Pembrokeshire Murders, which highlighted his appearance on the TV game show Bullseye—a crucial yet circumstantial piece of evidence in his conviction.
At his 2011 trial, Justice John Griffith Williams sentenced Cooper to life imprisonment, describing him as a “very dangerous man” whose conviction relied heavily on advances in forensic science.
As readers may recall, The Pembrokeshire Herald previously uncovered significant concerns about the handling of forensic evidence in Cooper’s case. An investigation by this newspaper revealed a series of procedural failings, including missing or incomplete exhibit logs, the mixing of different evidence samples, and a previously unreported flood in the storage area where forensic materials were kept.

Documents obtained by The Herald suggested that some forensic exhibits were not properly logged at key stages of the investigation, raising concerns about gaps in the chain of custody.
The absence of complete records makes it difficult to determine whether all items were handled and stored correctly, an issue that is particularly significant in cases where forensic evidence plays a central role in securing a conviction.
The mixing of evidence samples was another area of concern. It was found that items from different cases had been stored together, a practice that increases the risk of cross-contamination. The potential for DNA transfer between exhibits, particularly when stored in close proximity, is well-documented in forensic science. Any such contamination could have serious implications for the reliability of the evidence used to convict Cooper.
Perhaps most troubling was the discovery of a flooding incident in the forensic storage facility. The flood, which had not been disclosed in court or in any official reports at the time, raised concerns about whether water damage may have compromised key exhibits. The extent of any damage and whether steps were taken to mitigate the risk of evidence degradation remain unclear. The possibility that critical forensic materials were exposed to moisture, mould, or other contaminants could be a crucial issue for the CCRC to consider.
Despite these concerns, the forensic evidence presented by the Crown was substantial and was not challenged during Cooper’s unsuccessful 2012 appeal. However, advances in DNA testing and forensic methodologies since his trial may now allow for more sophisticated analysis of key exhibits. If the CCRC determines that new scientific techniques could yield different results, this may influence its decision on whether the case should be referred to the Court of Appeal.
Statistically, Cooper faces an uphill battle. Between April 1997 and February 2023, the CCRC received 29,845 applications but referred only 811 cases to an appeal court.
However, if his case does reach the appeal stage, historical data suggests a roughly 70 percent chance of a successful challenge.
Chloe Handling from the CCRC press office confirmed to The Pembrokeshire Herald previously: “I can confirm we have received two applications for John Cooper.”
“However, we won’t be able to comment any further while the review is underway.”
With no fixed timeline for completion, Cooper’s case remains under detailed review.
The Herald will continue to follow developments and provide updates as they emerge.
(Cover image: Athena Picture Agency)
News
Withyhedge site monitoring cost the council £170,000

PEMBROKESHIRE County Council’s monitoring of the controversial Withyhedge landfill site and unsuccessful legal challenge cost it nearly £170,000, councillors heard.
Last October, Pembrokeshire County Council went to court to seek an interim injunction against operators RML after asking it to give a legally binding undertaking to stop the odour coming from Withyhedge Landfill, near Haverfordwest.
The legal action came after months of residents complaining of foul odours and potentially harmful gasses coming from the landfill site.
A circuit judge found that the tip was causing nuisance, but believed that the council had gone about its application in the wrong way, refusing to grant an interim injunction.
The authority’s legal counsel had recommended the council appeal that decision, but this was not done due to costs involved and the situation at the tip had improved.
A report, presented by Cabinet member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett at Pembrokeshire County Council’s March 6 meeting, said: “Although our legal counsel did not believe this decision was correct and recommended an appeal, the Authority was in a difficult position when considering the costs of appealing and the costs outlay already incurred for taking the court action, as well as the provision of independent air quality monitoring and officer time dealing with this issue.
“This was due to the potential financial exposure considered against the fact that a marked improvement in the situation has been noted. We would like to stress that it is firmly believed that the legal pressure the council had placed on the operator in the period from April to October 2024 had a significant impact on the efforts and pace of the remedial works undertaken by the operator.
“Legal costs were ordered to be paid by the Authority in the sum of £169,110.87, although the actual sum was reduced by agreement to £100,000.”
The report also detailed other financial implications for the council: “Costs for air quality monitoring, legal and ancillary costs for translation of reports and some staff overtime in out of hours monitoring total £166,544 [to date]. This figure includes the additional static monitoring until 31 March 2025.”
Members heard that complaint numbers to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and PCC have been low since early January 2025 when waste tipping started again, other than a peak in mid-January from a Ricardo static monitor located at Spittal School, but were “not considered to be emanating from the landfill site,” with site inspections “indicating that the operator is following revised waste acceptance procedures which have previously been reviewed and accepted by NRW”.
Funding from Pembrokeshire County Council and Natural Resources Wales has been secured to allow the air quality monitoring via the static monitor at Spittal School to continue until March 31, but would cost £57,215 for an extra year, members heard.
Members agreed to note the report and to continue the air quality monitoring at Spittal school, reviewed on a quarterly basis, dependent on air quality results and the level of community odour complaints received.
-
Crime7 days ago
Woman accused of £85,000 fraud while acting as power of attorney
-
Crime7 days ago
Milford Haven teenager accused of Valentine’s Day sex offences
-
Crime7 days ago
Notorious paedophile cult leader Colin Batley may be freed this week
-
Crime7 days ago
Domestic violence order issued after argument over Tesco opening time
-
Top News7 days ago
Pembrokeshire women hit half way mark in gruelling 3,200 mile Atlantic row
-
Crime7 days ago
Pembrokeshire man with ‘horrific’ criminal record banned from driving
-
Comment7 days ago
Council’s historic budget decision: A step forward or political manoeuvre?
-
Business7 days ago
Welsh investors weigh up alternatives as property market evolves