News

Port changed website as Mustang collapsed

Published

11 years ago

July 11, 2014

NEW DETAILS have emerged this week showing how Milford Haven Port Authority rewrote its website deleting the key words ‘Trading Subsidiaries’ as controversial boat building firm Mustang Marine, collapsed.

In recent weeks Alec Don, Chief Executive of MHPA has been insisting that Mustang was never a trading subsidiary, and that the port should not have to pay back hundreds of thousands of pounds to local firms who were not paid as the firm went into administration. Alec Don told port stakeholders at the annual consultative meeting last month that the port had a “responsibility but not a legal liability” to Mustangs creditors. He later added: “I bitterly regret that Mustang went down. We lost £2.7m” The extraordinary on-line revelation, is clear evidence that the Authority was advertising Mustang as a subsidiary – a signal to suppliers that giving a credit line to Mustang was rock solid. The news ties in with what creditors of Mustang Marine have been saying – that the port does have a legal responsibility to pay debts owed. Simon Hart MP told The Herald: “The key question for all those local firms owed money is whether Mustang was a “trading subsidiary” of the Port Authority. The fact that the website has been ‘adjusted’ is a cause of great concern. I will be raising this, and other issues, with Stephen Hammond the Minister very soon.” His views were echoed by Stephen Crabb MP, who said when on a visit to Milford Haven Coastguard Station yesterday: “There is no doubt that as Mustang collapsed the Port Authority did everything they did to distance themselves from Mustang’s debts. When I got calls about Mustang it was always from Alec Don – the Port Authority.” On its official website, in late August 2013, the Authority wrote: “The Port of Milford Haven Group includes the following Trading Subsidiaries” and “The Port of Milford Haven merged its ship repair business, Milford Haven Ship Repairers with international boat builders, Mustang Marine, early in 2012. The deal included the substantial investment of new capital to finance growth plans of the enlarged business. With the specific objectives if shortening new-build delivery times, and providing station of the art fabrication facilities in Pembroke Dock.” However, as Mustang was collapsing, the website was quietly updated. The words ‘Trading Subsidiaries’ was replaced with ‘Associate Companies’. The sub-headline was also similarly replaced and an introductory paragraph about Mustang the following final sentence was added: “Mustang Marine is 50% owned by the Port of Milford Haven, with management responsibilities remaining with Mustang’s own team.” Speaking two weeks ago Simon Hart MP told the Herald: “I understand that Alec Don and Andrew Jones were the directors who signed off Mustang Marine’s accounts for 2012, which correctly stated under accounting guidelines that the company was a subsidiary of MHPA. It is for this reason that I find Alec Don’s comments that he cannot account for the different terminology used by the respective auditors of the Port Authority and Mustang Marine confusing.” The Port Authority will now have to explain why these differences also made it onto their official website. The Pembrokeshire Herald contacted Milford Haven Port Authority for a comment. Alec Don said “A reference in the MHPA annual report to Mustang as a subsidiary was actually a mistake, and was not meant in the true legal sense. This is also the same situation for the website.”

Community

Festive creativity shines as Kurtz MS meets card competition winner

Published

42 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SAMUEL KURTZ, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, visited Pembroke Dock Community School on Friday 12th December to present a prize to the winner of this year’s Christmas Card Competition.

The competition invited pupils to design a festive Christmas card, with entries received from schools across the area. The standard of artwork was exceptionally high, showcasing the creativity, imagination and talent of young people in the community.

During the visit, Samuel Kurtz congratulated the winning pupil and thanked all those who took part, as well as the teachers and staff who supported the competition. Each child who entered also received a certificate in recognition of their hard work and effort.

Speaking after the presentation, Samuel said, “It was a real pleasure to visit Pembroke Dock Community School today and announce the winner of my Christmas Card competition. This year the winner is Mair Moseley, aged 10, and she designed a wonderful Santa image that really stood out. She has won a chocolate selection set and a £20 book token to enjoy over Christmas.”

He added, “ The creativity and enthusiasm shown by all the children was fantastic, and it made choosing a winner extremely difficult. I want to congratulate all the entrants and thank the staff for their ongoing support.”

Pembroke Dock Community School Headteacher, Mrs Katie Crockford-Morris, added, “We were delighted to welcome Samuel Kurtz MS to the school to present the prize. The children thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the competition, and they were incredibly proud to receive their certificates.”

The winning design will now be used as Samuel Kurtz’s official Christmas card this year, with one copy already on its way to His Majesty, King Charles.

Charity

Two Welsh families fund Childline across the UK on Christmas Day

Published

57 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Staff Writer

Joint £40,000 gift ensures vital support is available when children need it most

TWO Cardiff families have joined forces to fund the NSPCC’s Childline service across the whole of the UK on Christmas Day, ensuring children have somewhere to turn during one of the toughest times of the year.

The Peterson family and the Bowles family are each donating £20,000 as part of the charity’s One Unforgettable Day project. Their combined £40,000 contribution will cover the entire cost of running Childline for 24 hours on 25 December.

Childline operates 12 bases nationwide and offers a free, confidential service to anyone under 19, available day and night, 365 days a year. The festive period is often one of the most demanding for counsellors and volunteers; between 24 December 2024 and 4 January 2025, Childline delivered 4,261 counselling sessions.

Young people reach out to Childline for a range of reasons at Christmas, including mental health struggles, family tensions, financial worries, loneliness, and increased risks of abuse or domestic violence. With schools closed and regular support networks unavailable, demand for help typically rises.

Childline relies heavily on donations, fundraising and charitable partnerships. The support of Alan, Maggie and Hywel Peterson, and Nathan and Claire Bowles and their four children, will ensure counsellors are available throughout Christmas Day for any young person who needs them.

Hywel Peterson MBE, Chair of the NSPCC Cymru Fundraising Board, said:
“It’s an honour to help fund Childline across the whole of the UK this Christmas. This joint donation will ensure our dedicated staff and volunteers are there to support any child who needs us.”

Cardiff entrepreneur Nathan Bowles added:
“We know that Christmas can be a difficult time for some children, so our family is delighted to be joining forces with the Petersons this year to support this vital service.”

Louise Israel, Childline team manager at NSPCC Cymru’s Cardiff base, said:
“While children and young people need Childline all year round, we speak to many who find this time of year particularly difficult. It is only with the support of such generous people as the Peterson and Bowles families that our staff and volunteers can continue to be here throughout the Christmas holidays. This kindness will genuinely make a difference.”

Children can call Childline free on 0800 11 11 or visit www.childline.org.uk.
Anyone concerned about a child’s welfare can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk for advice.

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

13 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include: