News
Chief Fire Officers pay and re-employment is being formally investigated
THE TERMS and salary of the re-employment of a Chief Fire Officer for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) are being formally investigated, The Herald can reveal.
We have previously reported on the re-employment of Chief Fire Officer Chris Davies following his retirement.
Cllr Gordon Walker, a former firefighter and Fire Authority member, officially raised a complaint with The Welsh Fire Minister and Auditor General for Wales regarding the terms of re-employment for the Chief Fire Officer and has been calling for an investigation since last year.
Mr Walker had written to the Fire Authority and MAWWFRS on numerous occasions asking for a review on the situation, however after failed attempts, Mr Walker sent his concerns to the Auditor General for Wales.
The issues that have been highlighted relate to the Chief Fire Officer’s pay and the policy regarding re-employment following retirement.
Chief Fire Officer Chris Davies, who retired from the service a number of years ago, has since been re-employed by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service in a more senior role.
Due to legislation in accordance with the Authority’s Policy on Re-employment of Retired firefighters, following voluntary retirement employees may be re-engaged and have their pensions abated.
However, this will not normally exceed a one year fixed term contract to retain specialist skills or knowledge, this will not normally exceed a one year fixed term contract.
Stating section 4.4 of the policy it clearly states ‘An individual will be re-employed on the same level of basic pay pertaining to the role they hold on retirement’.
A source within the fire service told us how Chief Fire Officer, Chris Davies, despite taking voluntary retirement and receiving a lump sum payment, has been re-employed by MAWWFRS on a salary that is almost £20,000 higher than his former basic pay.
Despite government legislation that says they should be re-employed for no longer than a one year contract, Chris Davies has been re-employed in his current role for five years.
As of now there is still no succession plan in place to replace Chris Davies with MAWWFRS.
The Auditor General for Wales have confirmed that they will be running a full investigation into the salary and the terms surrounding the re-employment of Chris Davies as Chief Fire Officer.
Speaking to The Herald, Gordon Walker said: “I have put my complaint in and I can confirm that we are awaiting the results of the investigation.”
Gordon has been campaigning relentlessly to have more transparency on the re-employment of retired fire service employees, especially those re-engaged on a rank senior to that on which they left.
A spokesperson for MAWWFRS said: “Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is aware of the allegations made by a Member of our Fire and Rescue Authority and we can confirm that we are currently working with Audit Wales as part of their investigation.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
News
Port of Milford Haven supports Pembroke river restoration project
THE Port of Milford Haven has supported the Pembroke River Restoration Project with funding for over 600 trees, associated items such as mulch, canes and tree guards, and volunteers.
The pilot project, which aims to improve the water quality of Pembroke River and the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC, is supported by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Pembrokeshire County Council, the Port of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, West Wales Rivers Trust, Dwr Cymru, Wildlife Trust South and West Wales, Pembroke Town Council and Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership.
It was initiated through Pembroke Town Council following concerns from residents and businesses in the town about the increased nutrient levels in the Pembroke River, which, combined with high summer temperatures, were resulting in annual algal blooms in the Pembroke Millponds. Furthermore, increased nutrient levels are found in the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC into which the Pembroke River flows. The Pembroke River Restoration Project team has set out to resolve this issue by installing fencing to control the movement of livestock in and around watercourses, reducing nutrient input and siltation, as well as planting trees and woody material along a catchment of the river to reduce silt and encourage diverse stream flow. This will improve water quality, habitat creation and flood management.
Donating an assortment of trees such as hawthorn, alder, beech and downy birch, the Port of Milford Haven helped with the setup for an acre of the river corridor. Staff from the Port have also volunteered their time to help maintaining the trees installed.
Jack O’Shea, Energy and Decarbonisation Manager for the Port of Milford Haven and eager volunteer for the project, commented: “It has been a pleasure to work alongside the organisations and individuals who have rallied together to bring this inspiring project to fruition and to have the opportunity to make a positive contribution to our local communities and the natural environment in which we operate and enjoy. The Port of Milford Haven is very excited to follow the project’s progress and are eager to observe the positive social, economic and environmental impacts that come as a result of the hard work from all involved.”
Commenting on the project, Peter Howe, Green Infrastructure Officer at Pembrokeshire County Council said: “This project is a landscape scale project, which hopes to improve water quality issues, to reduce such impacts further downstream that ultimately affects the Waterway The help and support of the Port of Milford Haven on this part of the project has created a riverine woodland habitat which is beneficial to improving water quality”.
Andrew Lewis, Marine Opportunity Catchment Officer for NRW, lead NRW officer on the project said: “I am pleased to have delivered a demonstration project within the Pembroke River catchment. Hopefully, this project will show the benefits of similar intervention work to all our partners and to landowners. For the work to truly have an impact the work needs to be continued at a catchment scale.”
Pictured: Jack O’Shea, Energy and Decarbonisation Manager at Port of Milford Haven, Peter Howe, Green Infrastructure Officer at Pembrokeshire County Council.
News
Sailing boat rescued off Fishguard amid challenging conditions
IN a dramatic evening off the coast of Fishguard, emergency teams and locals collaborated in a daring rescue operation. HM Coastguard Fishguard, along with RNLI Fishguard Lifeboat and local fishermen, were summoned to aid a sailing boat that had run aground near Lower Town Harbour.
The incident, which occurred around 18:00 on Wednesday (Oct 9), involved two women aboard the distressed vessel.
Strong onshore winds and shallow waters initially hampered the rescue efforts, making it unsafe to establish a tow with the lifeboat. With worsening conditions, the inshore lifeboat returned to the boathouse, leaving the all-weather lifeboat to maintain a watchful overwatch and provide essential lighting.
Local residents Vince Gyseman, Matt Lewis, and Fishguard harbour master Paul Butler displayed exemplary courage and initiative. Setting out from Lowertown Harbour as the tide rose, they prepared to either recover the vessel or rescue the crew. Meanwhile, Rescue Helicopter 187 was on standby to winch the crew to safety if needed.
“Once alongside the vessel, we established a long tow rope and slowly freed the vessel from grounding,” said Matt Lewis, part of the rescue team. The fishing vessel managed to pull the stranded boat to deeper waters and safely moored it in Goodwick Harbour.
Thanks to the combined efforts of the Coastguard, lifeboat personnel, local fishermen, and emergency services, the operation concluded successfully with the boat securely moored and all individuals safe. The community’s readiness and bravery were highlighted in this successful rescue mission.
(Photos: Matt Lewis)
Crime
Top barrister urges reopening of Pembrokeshire farmhouse murders case
A PROMINENT criminal barrister has joined the chorus calling for a fresh investigation into the deaths of siblings Griff and Patti Thomas, who were found dead in their isolated Pembrokeshire farmhouse in 1976.
Nearly half a century after the grim discovery at Ffynon Samson in the village of Llangolman, barrister Andrew Taylor is questioning the original findings that suggested Griff murdered his sister before taking his own life. Mr. Taylor, known for his work in overturning wrongful murder convictions, has cast doubt on several pieces of evidence used in the initial investigation.
Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed that their review of the case remains active.
The bodies of Griff and Patti Thomas were initially found by a postman in December 1976. An inquest in Haverfordwest in February 1977 delivered a verdict of manslaughter for Patti and an open verdict for Griff, leaving unanswered questions about the true circumstances of their deaths.
Mr. Taylor pointed out troubling aspects of the evidence, including a nail found embedded in Griff’s eye with no satisfactory explanation from police or pathologists, and significant bleeding from a head injury which contradicts the absence of third-party involvement. Moreover, the scene contained two half-drunk cups of tea and uneaten food, hinting at the presence of a visitor, and no accelerants were found, which challenges the suicide theory.
These details suggest that the siblings might have been entertaining a known visitor shortly before their deaths, adding complexity to the narrative of a lone murder-suicide.
The case has recently gained additional attention through a new BBC Sounds podcast, “Death on the Farm,” which explores the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The podcast follows The Pembrokeshire Herald playing significant roles in reviving interest in the case.
Over the years the newspaper has dedicated extensive investigative resources to questioning the initial police conclusions, which suggested that Griff Thomas killed his sister Patti before setting their farmhouse on fire and perishing in the blaze himself.
In recent years, Herald journalists such as Andy Chandler and Jon Coles have highlighted the inconsistencies in the original investigation, particularly focusing on forensic evidence, such as unidentified fingerprints and the unexplained presence of blood on a sewing machine cover.
Their work, combined with campaigns led by local media outlets like Clebran and community councils, pressured Dyfed-Powys Police to consider reopening the case. Coverage has emphasised that the official verdict, which painted Griff as a murderer despite his physical limitations and severe arthritis, left many unanswered questions
The Herald’s reporting has also been instrumental in debunking earlier theories linking notorious serial killer John Cooper to the deaths of the Thomas siblings. Through detailed interviews with local sources and a focus on forensic gaps in the investigation, these publications have kept the unresolved nature of the case in the public eye, pushing for justice more than 45 years later.
With the launch of Operation Hallam, a forensic cold case review started in October 2022, plus this renewed interest, there now renewed hope that modern investigative techniques might finally provide clarity on this nearly 50-year-old case, answering lingering questions and potentially clearing Griff Thomas’s name.
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