News

Western Telegraph threatens Herald over advertising standards

Published

11 years ago

August 31, 2014

Herald boss: Thomas Sinclair at WHSmith in Cardigan

THE NEWLY appointed publisher of The Western Telegraph has challenged its new rival newspaper, The Pembrokeshire Herald, to provide evidence on print figures or face being reported to the authorities.

In a letter to Herald acting editor Thomas Sinclair, The Telegraph’s confident new boss, Dean Merrick, described how he believed that claims The Herald has been making over the number of copies being printed per week were ‘untrue’.

In the letter Mr. Merrick said: “It has come to my attention on your marketing pack that is accessible on your website that you claim that you print 20,000 copies weekly of The Pembrokeshire Herald. We believe your claim to be false.”

He added: “I hereby provide you with seven days notice from August 29 to respond to confirm your print figures. If you fail to respond within the 7 day period my complaint will be passed onto the Advertising Standards Authority who will investigate the matter further.”

County Show 2014: 17000 readers

Thomas Sinclair hit back saying: “Our old pre-launch media pack claims a print run of 20k, but we have a new revised version. The number of copies printed each week, however, is immaterial for newspaper advertisers. It goes without saying that what businesses need to know is how many readers a publication has – or the circulation.”

Mr Sinclair said: “Something has clearly rattled The Western Telegraph. The latest JICREG data, updated on April 1, 2014 shows that the WT’s circulation is at an all-time low of 15,753 copies.”

The Herald boss added: “We clearly and repeatedly explain to our customers that we have 17,000 weekly readers. This has been printed on the front page of The Herald several times. It is in all our marketing material. It is what our sales staff consistently tell customers. It was even on the huge banners on top of our two storey stand at the County Show this year.”

Clear message: 17000 readers on banners at Milford Carnival this year.

Mr Sinclair added: “The media pack, which is being referred to, is the one which was designed before the Herald was launched. As reported on the BBC we did launch the paper with a 20,000 print run at launch, but cut this fairly soon after starting. The new and improved media pack which we have been circulating since then quotes a print run of 10,000 copies per week. We do print more than this but we have kept the number to the lowest we print. Contrary to what The Western Telegraph’s publisher has claimed, the old media pack is not accessible via the Pembrokeshire Herald homepage.”

Mr. Sinclair concluded: “Print figures aside, there is one thing which is clear. The Pembrokeshire Herald readership is on the way up, and the Western Telegraph’s is quite obviously on the way down.”

“With what the JICREG data has revealed this year, combined with what our stockists are telling us, I would not be surprised if we have eclipsed the Western Telegraph in reader numbers already.”

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13 Comments

s james

August 31, 2014 at 7:06 pm

I’d rather read the herald than the telegraph. The price had gone up on it but news coverage had gone down. It’s all adverts and once you remove them your left with hardly any pages… go herald.
Gez George

August 31, 2014 at 7:32 pm

I wont be buying the Telegraph again. Seems to be run by vindictive, envious petty minded bigots. The Pembrokeshire Herald is the only newspaper worth reading. Perhaps if the Telegraph concentrated more on putting readable information in their paper and concentrated less on school playground bully antics they may find people buying their paper. Heres on less customer anyway !!
Peter Warrennder

August 31, 2014 at 8:08 pm

The Herald is a great local paper, the Western Telegraph is American owned rubbish. I never buy the WT anymore, it has poor news coverage and is not value for money. Keep up the good work the Herald and your readership will grow and grow.
Claire

August 31, 2014 at 9:45 pm

The Western Telegraph have had a massive presence in the county for as long as I remember. Sadly though it has not done its best to cover the issues that are relevant to the people of Pembrokeshire. The Mercury is finally doing a good job of showing what is actually happening in our county both in and outside the county hall offices. It is somewhat shaken by competition it seems. Maybe if they focussed on writing the news instead of threatening letters, people would read it again!
Chris

August 31, 2014 at 10:51 pm

When the Mercury under the Stoddart family ownership started to grow and their print runs were increasing regularly, The Western Telegraphs owners bought it out!! They felt extremely threatened. If the Heralds print run keep increasing at this rate – Mr Sinclair The Western Telegraph may be making you a big offer – you could be a millionaire. They do not like to be beaten. I have to say, the Herald is a far better read, keep it up
Welshman23

September 1, 2014 at 5:51 am

Well done Herald the new editor should concentrate on yhe news that everyone wants to read. Herald you have rattled the cages of PCC and now it\’s the PCC supported Old Telegraph.
Maud Amy

September 1, 2014 at 12:56 pm

Trouble is the WT stopped reporting anything negative about PCC and any of its councillors and this is what put people off buying it.
Maud Amy

September 1, 2014 at 12:58 pm

People doing wrong on these official bodies should be named and shamed otherwise they just carry on doing what they have always done with no consequences ‘Concerned Pembs’
wendy king

September 1, 2014 at 1:51 pm

As a small business in pembrokeshire I advertise in the herald and the telegraph, However after receiving a phone call from the sales team at the TELEGRAPH asking me to place an ad, I declined, to the response from the member of staff at the TELEGRAPH to “well you advertised with the HERALD last week! why not us! they dont even print or sell copies!” My response was that the HERALD had placed an ad for FREE for me paying off my monthly account each month, looking after a customer 🙂 TELEGRAPHs response was more fool them giving out FREE ads! I was not happy with this conversation. I am not surprised to see this pathetic bickering from the TELEGRAPH, they are tired, dated and I WILL NOT BE ADVERTISING WITH THEM AGAIN!
Burt

September 1, 2014 at 3:23 pm

What can i say the WT have been ripping off small business in pembs for years to the point i couldn’t afford to put my business out there anymore, thank god for the Herald as i9 can now advertise without breaking the bank and everyone i know has given up buying the Wt and will only get the Herald from now on!! keep up the fantastic paper!!
Tenby Skipper

September 1, 2014 at 4:37 pm

The Western Telegraph still doesn’t get it. People want some backbone in their reporting, not soft pedalled puff pieces and press releases, and now there is an alternative which offers what people want. The Herald has done more hard reporting and proper journalism in a year than the WT has in a decade. If the Herald’s sales figures haven’t already overtaken the WT, it’s surely only a matter of time.
Teifion

September 2, 2014 at 1:26 pm

The WT has behaved like the PCC in house magazine over the years – the relationship between the meedja was once described as the relationship between a dog and a lampost – sadly the WT was the lamp-post and has been partly to blame for the shenanigins at the PCC
Mister H

September 7, 2014 at 10:26 pm

A friend of mine once said, if he wanted to buy a car or a house then he would buy the WT. Sooooooo true!!!

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

1 hour 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:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

2 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

2 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.