News

Report shows Logan Mganwi’s death an avoidable tragedy

Published

3 years ago

November 24, 2022

A SAFEGUARDING review has found cross-agency failings contributed to the death of five-year-old Logan Mwangi at the hands of his mother, her partner, and a teenager living with the family.
A boy described as “smiling, cheerful, bubbly” had his life cut short through the sustained, brutal cruelty of those he lived with.
Logan’s mother and stepfather used Covid regulations as a shield behind which they hid their abuse of him.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND UNSHARED INFORMATION

In gruelling detail, the report by Cwm Taf Morgannwg Safeguarding Board sets out a series of missed opportunities by healthcare staff, Bridgend social services, and South Wales Police to share information that might have protected Logan from the violence which led to his death on July 31, 2021.
Logan died after suffering blunt force abdominal injury, traumatic injuries to his brain and ischaemic brain damage (usually associated with attempted asphyxiation).
After carrying his corpse to the side of the River Ogmore, his killers dumped his body.

SUSTAINED RACIST ABUSE

His mother, Angharad Williamson, 31, stepfather John Cole, 40, and stepbrother Craig Mulligan, 14, were all convicted of murder and received life sentences following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court earlier this year.
Logan, who was of mixed race, suffered particular abuse from Cole, a former member of the National Front with a lengthy criminal record for violent offences, including assaulting a child.
The report notes that Cole and Mulligan “held and expressed racist and discriminatory views that one would expect to have made life very hard for Logan within the family”.

A RECORD OF INJURIES

The year before his death, Logan attended Accident and Emergency, battered, bruised, and with a fracture to his upper right arm.
Despite the family already being on social services’ radar, police and social services decided no basis existed for further intervention with the family – partly because hospital staff did not share the full extent of Logan’s injuries with them.
Logan was found to have sustained “wider bruising and injuries”, including an injury near his genitals, bruises to his ankle, bruises to his forehead, bruising to the top of both ears, bruising behind one ear, bruises to both cheeks and a carpet bruise to his chin. The area around his broken shoulder was also extensively bruised.
Doctors never shared the details of the further injuries, identified after a review by a paediatric specialist, with Police or Social Services.

THEY NEVER LISTENED TO LOGAN

Those injuries’ details paint a disturbing picture of sustained violence against a defenceless child who could not rely on his mother to protect him from abuse.
The report notes that the relevant agencies never spoke directly to Logan about his injuries.
The report concludes: “Several injuries, even in isolation, should have triggered a referral.
“If the injuries were considered by health professionals to be non-accidental, there should have been clear considerations to the number of injuries and site on the body, parental supervision being afforded to Logan and if wider agencies’ support was required.
“This again should have triggered a child protection referral.”
The authorities never contacted Logan’s birth father about any of their concerns following an unsupported claim of domestic abuse against him made by Williamson.
The report finds that regardless of the claim – which was not backed by any evidence or record of complaints – Logan’s father should have been part of the decision-making process regarding his son’s care. Logan’s father was never told that his son was on the Child Protection Register or that he’d been removed from it.
And it’s not as if social services were unaware of Cole’s appalling history of violence or oblivious to signs that something was amiss within the family unit.
Social services repeatedly engaged with the family for months before Logan’s murder. They noted Cole’s controlling behaviour, unwillingness to have anyone speak with them but himself, and an unexpected deterioration in Logan’s stammer.
The day before Logan’s death, a social worker visited the family’s home about concerns relating to another child living with Logan, Williamson, Cole, and Mulligan.
She neither saw nor spoke to Logan because she was told he had tested positive for Covid-19.
Within 24 hours of that visit, Logan was dead – beaten to death – and his body was left by the riverside.

INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF WALES’S CHILD SOCIAL SERVICES “MUST HAPPEN”

Plaid’s South Wales West regional MS, Sioned Williams, said: “The report outlines the extent to which multiple agencies worked with Logan and his family in the years before his death.
“Many local and national recommendations have been made. I have no doubt that the specific recommendations made to the Welsh Government will be discussed within the Senedd as a matter of urgency.
Sioned Williams added: “The Welsh Government must ensure vital services are properly resourced and commission an independent review of children’s social work across Wales, as called for previously by Professor Donald Forrester and the British Association of Social Workers Cymru.”
The Welsh Government has previously refused to consider such a review, a fact referred to by Welsh Conservative Shadow Social Services Minister Gareth Davies.
Mr Davies said: “Not only do we see a reluctance to escalate Logan’s situation in the face of obvious evidence and agencies working in silos, not sharing information, but understaffed departments that prove concerns about the high dependency of agency workers leading to cases like this are vindicated.
“It is clear that in addition to Bridgend Council implementing the report’s recommendations, we need a Wales-wide review of children’s services which, sadly, Mark Drakeford continues to block despite Wales being the only UK nation not undertaking one and having the UK’s highest rate of looked-after children.”

Community

Weather presenter spotted filming in Pembrokeshire

Published

2 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WELL-KNOWN Welsh weather presenter was spotted in Pembrokeshire as he filmed scenes for a new series celebrating the county’s coastline.

Derek Brockway, who has been a familiar face on BBC Wales since 1995, was in St Davids recently working on another instalment of his popular walking series along the Pembrokeshire Coast.

Local resident Thomas Tudor said it was “lovely” to meet the broadcaster during filming, posing for a photograph alongside his mother, Beryl Tudor, and sister, Bethan Thomas Price.

Brockway, who is based at BBC Cymru Wales in Cardiff, is widely known not only for his weather forecasts across television, radio and online, but also for his programmes showcasing Wales’ landscapes and coastal paths.

The latest filming in St Davids is expected to form part of an upcoming series highlighting the natural beauty and walking routes of Pembrokeshire, an area long regarded as one of the jewels in Wales’ tourism crown.

Ministry of Defence

Defence families in Wales to save up to £6,000 under new childcare scheme

Published

3 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A MAJOR new childcare support scheme for Armed Forces families will be rolled out across Wales from September 2026, the UK Government has announced.

The initiative is expected to save eligible families up to £6,000 per child each year, providing a significant boost to household finances amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures.

The scheme will be delivered through the Ministry of Defence’s existing Early Years childcare reimbursement system and will bring Wales in line with the level of support already available to forces families in England.

Today, 19/03/2026 The Secretary of State for Defence John Healey visited Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh, home to 3rd Battalion the Rifles. He met with families to launch a new scheme for Defence Families in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ministers say the move is part of a wider effort to improve recruitment and retention in the Armed Forces, with childcare costs identified as a key pressure affecting morale.

The new support will cover children from nine months old until they reach three years of age in Wales and Scotland, and up to four years old in Northern Ireland.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP announced the scheme during a visit to Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh.

He said: “Our Armed Forces families are at the heart of our nation’s security. As the demands on defence increase, it is right that we step up our support for those who serve.

“This offer will ensure more military families get the childcare support they need, wherever they are posted.”

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens added: “Service families in Wales make huge sacrifices and deserve the best possible support.

“They contribute not only to our national security but also to the Welsh economy. This scheme delivers meaningful help with the cost of childcare.”

The scheme will reimburse the difference in early years childcare costs for eligible working families. To qualify, both parents must be in employment and meet the income thresholds required for a Tax-Free Childcare account.

Hundreds of families across Wales are expected to benefit.

The announcement forms part of a broader package of support introduced since July 2024, including improved military housing, the largest Armed Forces pay rise in two decades, and plans to strengthen the Armed Forces Covenant in law.

Further details will be provided in the coming months, with families encouraged to begin considering childcare arrangements ahead of the scheme’s launch.

Community

Broad Haven volunteers secure ‘national asset’ status for nature reserve

Published

3 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SMALL stretch of woodland and former opencast coal mine has been transformed into a nationally recognised biodiversity site, in a major first for Wales.

The Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve has been awarded ‘Naturfa’ status, becoming the first community-managed site in Wales to receive the designation.

The recognition, confirmed by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, classifies the reserve as an “Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measure” (OECM). This means the volunteer-led work of the Support the Boardwalk group will now contribute directly to Wales’ 30×30 target – the global commitment to protect 30% of land, freshwater and sea for nature by 2030.

In a further boost, the site has also been included in the National Forest for Wales, recognising its role in strengthening a connected network of woodlands and habitats across the country.

Once a simple local walkway, the Slash Pond has developed into a thriving wildlife haven. The reserve now supports a wide range of species, including critically endangered European eels, otters, ten species of bat, and more than fifty species of birds, alongside diverse aquatic plants and insects.

Huw Irranca-Davies said: “These special places are a testament to the care and dedication of people working on the ground – securing a legacy for future generations. Nature can only thrive where habitats are resilient, protected and effectively managed.”

The new status is expected to unlock future funding opportunities, supporting long-term plans for maintaining the boardwalk, monitoring biodiversity and water quality, installing new signage, and expanding environmental education work with Broad Haven Primary School and the wider Havens community.

Andy Drumm, a volunteer with Support the Boardwalk, said: “We’ve always known how special the Slash Pond is, but this recognition puts it firmly on the map as a national asset. It’s a tribute to years of hard work and shows that local communities can lead the way in tackling the nature crisis.”

To mark the achievement, a Spring Family Fun Day will take place on Friday (May 9) from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Slash Pond car park.

The event will feature guided nature walks, pond dipping, a wildlife treasure trail, live music, and family activities including crafts and face painting. The official unveiling of the Naturfa certificate and new reserve branding will also take place, alongside the launch of a new book, From Culm to Calm: A History of the Slash Pond by local author David Meanwell.

Karen Riggs, a long-time volunteer, said: “This achievement belongs to everyone in Broad Haven who has supported the site over the years. We’re not just celebrating a new title – we’re celebrating what our community has built together.”

The day will also see the installation of new benches at the observation decks and the launch of a floating island habitat to support wildfowl and other bird species. Visitors will also be invited to share feedback on plans for an improved picnic area designed to withstand local flooding.

Naturfa is a Welsh Government initiative recognising areas outside traditional protected sites, such as SSSIs, that are managed in ways which deliver long-term benefits for biodiversity.

The Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve is managed by the Support the Boardwalk group in partnership with The Havens Community Council, and is maintained entirely by volunteers.

Further information and updates are available via the Support the Boardwalk Facebook page.