News

Councillor hits out against anonymous smear campaign

Published

3 years ago

June 5, 2023

A PEMBROKESHIRE councillor has hit out an anonymous online smear campaign against her, allegedly involving a fellow member of the council.

Claims have been made online that independent councillor for Tenby South, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, was a closet supporter of the Labour party.

West Williamston councillor Jacob Williams recently highlighted the anonymous campaign against her, citing two Facebook pages, one entitled ‘Moanalot’ and the other ‘Not another blogger’.

Cllr Williams, in his long-running blog, has even pointed the finger for ‘Moanalot’ at a fellow member of the county council.

Cllr Williams said the Moanalot page was a renamed version of a previous page by the councillor, which he says was confirmed by Facebook’s transparency section.

Cllr Williams said ‘Moanalot’ became vocal following a close-run but failed attempt to remove council leader David Simpson through a no-confidence motion.

Cllr Simpson, at the May 18 extraordinary council meeting, clung on to power by 31 votes to 29, one of those in his support was Cllr Skyrme-Blackhall.

Cllr Williams said there were two themes of Moanlot’s criticism of Cllr Skyrme-Blackhall, allegations she – an independent member – is a closet Labour sympathiser, and that her support for Cllr Simpson is motivated by hopes of a seat in his Cabinet.

“This ‘anonymous’ smear campaign started just hours after the crunch vote which Simpson survived,” he said, citing online comments by ‘Moanalot’ on stories in the local press on the subject.

Cllr Williams says the ‘Moanalot’ comment read: “No doubt it helped having Sam Skyrme Blackhall, an ‘unaffiliated’ Labour supporting candidate on your side. No doubt the constituents of her ward will be delighted to know their ‘unaffiliated’ councillor doesn’t take sides, well maybe just the one.”

Moanalot also included a photograph featuring, among others, Cllr Skyrme-Blackhall and Labour party members in Tenby.

Just two days later, on May 20, a new Facebook page was created with the title ‘Not Another Blogger,’ again referring to alleged Labour links, said Cllr Williams.

Cllr Skyrme-Blackhall has said the picture was merely her attending an event as mayor of the seaside town.

Cllr Skyrme-Blackhall responded to the claims against her: “In relation to the picture and the rubbish in the blogs from ‘Moanalot’ and ‘Not another Blogger’ – it is quite simple – I was mayor of the town, the Minister for Health [Eluned Morgan MS] was visiting and there was an opportunity to show her the excellent work been done at a local drop-in centre and food bank. I am not and never have been a member of the Labour Party or any other party.

“I stood as an Independent (non-affiliated) and I will serve as an Independent.

“As for the rest, well it is very sad and to be honest quite distressing when [colleagues] decide to hide behind fake names and false accounts. When I speak, I do it openly, I do it as an independent woman and I do it in my name.”

The councillor accused of being behind ‘Moanalot’ has been contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The writer behind Not Another Blogger has not been identified by Cllr Williams, but has responded to him in a post: “To quell some of the curiosity, I’ll divulge this much: I may not be a councillor, but I’m close enough to the game to see the chess pieces on the board.”

Crime

Carmarthen man admits takeaway burglaries

Published

19 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Court Reporter

Phillip Roberts stole cash from USA Chicken and returned the following day with intent to steal

A CARMARTHEN man has admitted a string of burglaries at the same takeaway business on consecutive days.

Phillip Roberts, 44, of Brewery Road, Carmarthen, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to three offences connected to USA Chicken on Blue Street.

The court heard that on June 4, Roberts entered the premises as a trespasser and stole a tip jar containing cash. He also admitted a second burglary at the same business on the same date, during which £50 cash was stolen.

A further offence took place on June 5, when Roberts entered USA Chicken as a trespasser with intent to steal.

Magistrates adjourned sentence for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. The report will consider all sentencing options, including possible committal to the Crown Court.

Roberts was granted conditional bail. He must not enter USA Chicken, Blue Street, and must not contact Mustafa Baksi, either directly or indirectly.

He is due to return to Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on July 1 for sentence.

Health

Welsh Ambulance Service urges public to ‘choose wisely’ as pressures continue

Published

20 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH AMBULANCE SERVICE has issued a fresh appeal to the public following the declaration of a critical incident on Friday (June 26), as exceptionally high demand continues to place pressure on crews across Wales.

In a social media post published today (Saturday, June 27), the Trust warned that hot weather is contributing to a rise in ambulance call-outs, including incidents involving heat-related illness, falls, breathing difficulties and existing medical conditions worsened by the heat.

The message comes less than 24 hours after the service declared a critical incident amid unprecedented demand, with ambulance resources stretched across Wales.

The Trust is urging people to call 999 only for serious or life-threatening emergencies, contact NHS 111 Wales for urgent health advice, and use local pharmacies for minor illnesses and ailments.

It said choosing the right service can help ambulance crews reach the sickest patients more quickly while pressures remain high.

Crime

Six arrested after immigration raids at Florentino’s restaurants

Published

21 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SIX people have been arrested following Immigration Enforcement raids at Florentino’s Italian restaurants in Tenby and Carmarthen.

Officers visited the Tenby branch in St Julian’s Street on June 18, where two Romanian nationals were identified as allegedly having no right to work in the UK. Both were arrested on suspicion of illegal working.

The Tenby operation followed an earlier raid at Florentino’s in Carmarthen in February, where four workers — two Romanian nationals, a Bangladeshi national and a Mongolian national — were also arrested on suspicion of illegal working.

The Herald previously reported in March that the Carmarthen restaurant had been linked to a major HMRC case, after Claudio Cernat Ltd, formerly trading as Florentino’s on Jacksons Lane, was listed over a £278,000 deliberate tax underpayment and a further £186,000 penalty.

Immigration officials say inquiries are now under way to establish who may be liable for employing the individuals. Employers found to have breached illegal working rules can face civil penalties of up to £60,000 per worker.

One of the Tenby workers has already returned, while the other is in the process of returning. Of the Carmarthen workers, two have returned, one was placed on immigration bail and another was de-arrested with a warning.

Immigration Enforcement Lead for Wales, Richard Johnson, said: “I want to thank my officers who showed the highest levels of professionalism under challenging circumstances on these operations.

“Immigration Enforcement teams in Wales continue to work round the clock to ensure businesses play by the rules and those with no right to be in the UK are tracked down and returned at the earliest opportunity.”

The Home Office says illegal working enforcement has increased significantly since July 2024, with raids and arrests rising across the UK and Wales.

No finding has yet been made against the restaurant operators in relation to the latest arrests.

Florentino’s has been approached for comment.