News

Demands for police to be reimbursed for Penally

Published

4 years ago

February 9, 2021

· A million pounds spent on policing to December
· Protests for and against cost police £685,000
· Crime panel: “Government must fully reimburse Dyfed-Powys Police for all costs”
· Home Office: “We have already agreed to provide £2.5million”

POLICING Penally camp has cost more than a million pounds and taken up more than 8,000 policing hours in the first six weeks after it was opened.

Housing asylum seekers in Pembrokeshire have placed a “significant financial burden” on Dyfed-Powys Police, the force’s Police and Crime Panel have said.
Between September 25 and November 11, more than 1,000 officers were called to attend the asylum camp in the village of Penally on the outskirts of Tenby.

ONE MILLION SPENT

At the panel, chairman Alun Lloyd-Jones said policing the Penally camp involved 13,919 hours of officer time, including 9,681 overtime at a cost of £297,000, up to the end of December.

The total costs of policing protests at the camp were £685,000, the panel said, totalling just short of a million pounds at £982,000.

Obviously, with costs this year well over a million pounds has been spent – mostly in overtime payments.

The panel is calling on the UK Government department to reimburse the force for the additional costs.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys Police Dafydd Llywelyn said he wanted additional funding from the Home Office to support local resources that have been put under pressure as a result of the decision to utilise the camp as an asylum centre.

Last month there were two protests by the asylum seekers themselves in Tenby over conditions. Mr Llywelyn said: “I’m aware that police were in attendance during protests that have taken place this week, and I was pleased to hear that the protests were peaceful with no disorder reported.

“These are extremely difficult times for all of us. I have seen first-hand the difficult circumstances encountered by individuals that are residing at the centre and I have met with the Chief Inspector of Asylum and Immigration who gave me assurances about an independent inspection that will take place in the near future.

“However, now is not the time to be gathering to hold protests, and I can understand the frustrations of the local communities when observing such activities.

“Officers will and have been acting accordingly when Covid-19 regulations are breached, and I’m reassured that the Force have been liaising with the site management team to educate them of the Force’s four E principles’ approach – engage, explain, encourage and enforce.

“In the meantime, we remain in regular contact with local partners and service providers, monitoring all situations around the facility,”

The Penally training camp began to house up to 250 asylum seekers in September, including men from Iraq, Iran and Syria.

As the Herald has extensively covered, it has attracted multiple protests – some by far-right groups and some by concerned locals.

There have also been other protests in support of the asylum seekers, and some from asylum seekers themselves protesting against the conditions in the camp.

SPECIAL FUNDING INSUFFICIENT

The panel states that under Home Office police funding rules special grants can be given to cover additional pressures, but only if the total cost of these pressures exceeds 1% of the force’s net revenue expenditure for the year.

According to the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel, this would mean it would not be able to claim any additional grants from the Home Office to cover costs unless extra costs exceeded £1.129 million.

The panel said it is calling on Home Secretary Priti Patel, Policing Minister Kit Malthouse and MPs in the area – including the Welsh Secretary Simon Hart – to encourage the UK Government to fully reimburse Dyfed-Powys Police for all costs incurred in policing Penally camp – even if the costs are below this Home Office threshold.

The UK’s Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has begun an inspection of the use of hotels and army barracks as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers and is calling for evidence.

The Home Office spokesman told The Herald that it had agreed extra funding and said: “We have already agreed to provide £2.5million of Special Grant funding to Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to these costs up to September 2021.”

Dyfed Powys Police said it had a number of officers dedicated specifically to the Penally Camp to undertake regular patrols both inside the camp, around the village and to respond to calls for the camp.

These duties took up 8,264 hours of police time in the six-week period, not counting officers who have responded to incidents on occasions where the officers undertaking the Penally camp duties have not been working.

Although these officers would have been working anyway and are therefore not an “additional” cost, it does not take into account any overtime to help replace the reallocated officers.

HIGH NUMBER OF ARRESTS

A number of arrests were made in that same period as protesters gathered outside the camp during September and October calling for the camp to be closed.

In total, 13 arrests were made for offences. These included: racially aggravated Section 4 public order offences; obstructing and/or resisting a constable in execution of duty; racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment/alarm/ distress; arson; use of threatening abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent or likely to stir up racial hatred, affray; and actual bodily harm.

The force would not divulge how many of those arrests involved protesters and how many were men living inside the camp.

The operational demands were originally thought to be in the region of £3 million but have since been projected to cost Dyfed-Powys Police in the region of £1.2m as lockdown has forced protesters away.

In a report at a recent finance meeting Dafydd Llywelyn, the police and crime commissioner, wrote that he had estimated operational costs for policing the camp to be around £1.2m for the year.

Charity

Wales sees surge in food bank use as celebrities urge UK Government to act

Published

6 hours ago

May 22, 2025

Tom Sinclair

171,673 emergency parcels distributed across Wales last year

A GROWING number of Welsh families are relying on food banks, with new figures showing that nearly 172,000 emergency food parcels were distributed across Wales between April 2024 and March 2025.

The data, released today (Friday, May 23) by anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust, shows the scale of food poverty in the UK – with 2.9 million parcels handed out nationally. Over one million of those were for children.

In Wales, food parcel distribution has increased by 26% since 2019/20, a sign that for many communities, hunger is becoming normalised.

The figures have sparked renewed calls for government action, with well-known faces including Dame Julie Walters and Lesley Manville urging ministers to address what they describe as a national emergency.

Dame Julie said: “Emergency food distribution is being normalised in the UK. These stats highlight the need for us to come together and play our part in saying this isn’t right.”

In Pembrokeshire and across rural Wales, campaigners warn that the situation is worsened by isolation, limited services, and higher energy bills – all pushing vulnerable people to crisis point.

Actor Lesley Manville, who recently won an Olivier Award, said: “I’m shocked at the extremely high levels of emergency food parcels being distributed by food banks, especially the sharp rise in children under five needing support. This has to be a wake-up call for the UK government.”

In Wales, more than 187,000 parcels were distributed the previous year – a drop in 2024/25, but still far above pre-pandemic levels. Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said this cannot be seen as a success: “Thousands of families, disabled people, and working households had to access food banks. This should be a massive wake-up call.”

Comedian Rosie Jones said that proposed UK Government cuts to disability benefits could make matters worse: “Slashing the income of someone already struggling to cover life’s essentials is cruel and counterproductive.”

In Pembrokeshire, food banks such as PATCH in Milford Haven and the Trussell-linked outlets in Haverfordwest and Fishguard have seen sustained high demand. Volunteers warn that without local donations and support, they would struggle to meet needs.

TV presenter and Trussell ambassador AJ Odudu added: “Right now, someone needs an emergency food parcel every 11 seconds. It’s never been more vital that we all play our part.”

The charity is calling for an urgent re-think on proposed welfare cuts and for the UK Government to take decisive action to reduce hunger and hardship.

Campaigners are also urging the public to donate food or money to their local food bank. A postcode search tool showing how many parcels were distributed in each area is available at: campaign.trussell.org.uk/parcels-by-postcode

Community

£1.8m investment to modernise Wales’ libraries, museums and archives

Published

6 hours ago

May 22, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Government funding aims to make cultural services more accessible and sustainable

A £1.8 MILLION boost to libraries, museums, and archives across Wales has been announced by the Welsh Government, aimed at modernising cultural services and ensuring they are accessible, inclusive, and fit for the future.

The funding, delivered through the Cultural Transformational Capital Programme, will benefit six public libraries, three museums, and two archive services. The investment is part of the Welsh Government’s recently published Priorities for Culture strategy, which places cultural development at the heart of community well-being, sustainable growth, and the promotion of the Welsh language.

Announcing the investment, Minister for Culture Jack Sargeant said: “Cultural services across Wales provide vital spaces for communities to learn, connect, and engage with our rich heritage. This £1.8 million investment will help transform these services to be greener, accessible, and responsive to local needs.
“Programmes like these are key to ensuring our cultural assets remain modern, sustainable and relevant to future generations.”

Among the recipients is the National Trust’s Powis Castle in Welshpool, which has been awarded around £60,000 to support a redesigned exhibition for a significant item in its South Asian Collection — the tiger head finial from the throne of Tipū Sultān. The new display will explore the object’s complex colonial history and invite public engagement with questions about Wales’ role in global heritage.

Shane Logan, General Manager at Powis Castle and Garden, said: “This vital support from the Welsh Government will allow us to share and discuss a key moment in British and South Asian history through the lens of Tipū Sultān’s tiger head finial. It is an exciting step forward — allowing us to tell more inclusive histories and inviting reflection on what our shared past means for a more equal Wales.”

Other projects to benefit from the scheme include the creation of a new museum at Shire Hall in Monmouth, the development of modern archival storage at Wrexham Archives, and a major refurbishment of Penarth Library in Cardiff to create a modernised community and local history space.

The funding aims not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to ensure that cultural institutions across Wales remain central to the life of their communities for decades to come.

Community

New Mayor and Sheriff appointed in Haverfordwest civic ceremony

Published

6 hours ago

May 22, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Deputy Mayor pledges to build trust and community spirit

HAVERFORDWEST TOWN COUNCIL held its annual mayor-making ceremony this week, formally appointing Councillor Roy Thomas as the new Mayor of Haverfordwest and Admiral of the Port for the 2025–2026 civic year.

The ceremony, held at a packed Shire Hall, also saw Councillor Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner appointed Deputy Mayor of Haverfordwest.

Speaking after his appointment, Cllr Thomas-Turner said he was “deeply humbled and honoured” to take on the role. He pledged to engage actively with local businesses, organisations, and residents, with a focus on building trust, strengthening community spirit, and fostering collaboration across the town.

He said: “My aim is to ensure that Haverfordwest continues to grow, thrive, and truly become the best in the west.”

Also announced during the ceremony was the appointment of the new Sheriff of Haverfordwest, Councillor Dani Thomas-Turner—who is also the wife of the new Deputy Mayor.

The event brought together councillors, local dignitaries, and members of the public to mark the official start of the new civic year.