News
Over 117,000 people newly registered to vote in Wales

AS the deadline passed yesterday to register to vote, 117,477 people in Wales signed up who were not previously on the voters toll.
However, the The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) is calling for the next government to bring in Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) across the UK to make it easier for people to cast their vote and help enfranchise millions of missing voters. Wales is already planning to introduce AVR, with legislation progressing through the Senedd currently. This should be introduced for 2026, pending a successful pilot.
AVR can work in a number of ways. It involves registration officers pre-populating the register from existing databases, rather than voters having to initiate the registration process themselves.
The ERS’s call comes after government figures showed that just under 2.9 million applications to register to vote were made from between when the general election was called on May 22nd and the registration deadline of 23:59 on June 18th. Despite a huge surge on the last day of 632,863 applications lifting the total figure, the overall number of applications is still well short of the around 8 million people the Electoral Commission says are not registered to vote or registered incorrectly.
Following yesterday’s deadline, the final number of registrations since the general election was called stood at 2,898,265. This broke down as 2,450,646 in England, 281,339 in Scotland, 117,477 in Wales and 48,803 in Northern Ireland.
Willie Sullivan, Senior Director of the Electoral Reform Society, said: “Despite a huge surge in last-minute applications to register to vote, it is clear today that millions of voters will still be missing from the electoral rolls come polling day. That means millions of people will effectively be locked out of having their say on the direction of the country in the coming years.
“This should be the last election where we are in this damaging situation. We are calling on whoever is in government after July 4th to bring in Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) across the UK, which is already set to be introduced into Wales.
“Moving to AVR would be a win-win for the next government as it would make life easier for voters by taking one more thing off their to-do list while at the same time strengthening our democracy by helping enfranchise millions of missing voters.
“However, the high number of unregistered voters also points to a deeper malaise in our politics, where millions of people are clearly disengaged with our democracy. This comes at a time when trust in our politics is also now at rock bottom.
“A big part of the problem is people not feeling that their vote counts or has any meaningful impact, which is a direct result of the distorting First Past the Post voting system used for Westminster elections.
“Our research found that at the last general election over 22 million votes (70.8%) didn’t count towards the result, in that they were either cast for a losing candidate or surplus votes for the winner.
“The next government urgently needs to grip the crisis of trust in politics and disengagement with our democracy, and a key part of that has to be bringing in a fairer proportional voting system that means every vote would matter come election day and seats in Parliament would more accurately reflect the way the country voted.”
News
Car fire closes Market Street in Haverfordwest

FIREFIGHTERS were called to tackle a vehicle blaze in the centre of Haverfordwest on Monday afternoon (May 19).
The incident occurred at around 2:50pm on Market Street, where a car was reported to be alaze.
A crew from Haverfordwest Fire Station responded swiftly and brought the fire under control within half an hour. The road was temporarily closed while emergency services dealt with the situation.
A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 2:51pm, firefighters from Haverfordwest attended a car fire on Market Street. The vehicle was well alight on arrival. One hose reel jet, a thermal imaging camera, small tools and a breathing apparatus set were used to extinguish the blaze.
“The crew left the scene at 3:24pm.”
No injuries were reported.
Education
Excellent progress on the construction of new lower school building at Portfield School

PUPILS from Portfield School have had the exciting opportunity to leave their mark on history as work continues at pace at their fantastic new school.
The pupils attended an event to mark the reaching of the highest point of the new building, traditionally known as the ‘topping-out’ ceremony. The event gave pupils a chance to sign one of the first steel beams, and leaving handprints on a wall, symbolising their role at the heart of the school community and the bright future ahead.
The event was hosted by Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure Ltd and was attended by staff, pupils, governors, senior Council officers and officers from the project team to celebrate the key milestone.

Headteacher Sarah Hartley said: “We were thrilled to involve our pupils in this important moment. The new building represents a new chapter for Portfield School, and it’s wonderful that our children could be part of its foundations.”
The Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, Cllr. Guy Woodham, said that he was extremely pleased at the progress being made.
“Whilst I was unable to attend the event myself, my colleagues have shared with me their experience of the event, and the excellent progress being made on the new building at the school.
“This development will provide much needed modern, inclusive accommodation for the learners, and I am particularly pleased that the project remains on budget, and on programme, which means that Portfield School will be in a position to move into the building in December 2025.”
Following their visit, pupils made the following comments: “We had to wear protective clothing before entering the building site. Being able to write my name on one of the walls in the new building was really cool. I am very grateful to have been chosen to write my name in the new build it is extremely cool. Even though I am leaving this year my name will be there for ever.”
“Oh it was fun! I put my hand in paint and then put it on the wall.”
The project is being funded by Welsh Government and Pembrokeshire County Council as part of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Capital programme.
Charity
Woman spared jail after drunken assault on two police officers

A PEMBROKESHIRE woman battling a complex range of mental health issues has narrowly avoided prison after spitting at and assaulting two police officers while heavily intoxicated.
Elisha Callen, 25, of Glenview Avenue, Pembroke Dock, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates this week for sentencing after admitting two counts of assaulting emergency workers and being drunk and disorderly in a public place.
The court heard that on April 21, Callen was found in a severely intoxicated state on Larch Road, Milford Haven. Officers attempted to calm her, but she became increasingly aggressive.
“She was told to behave herself, but she failed,” said Crown Prosecutor Dennis Davies.
Following her arrest, Callen lashed out at officers at the station—striking one and spitting in the face of another.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, one of the officers said: “As a police officer, we expect to face conflict on a daily basis, but I don’t expect to be spat on by someone I’ve never met before.”
Callen later told officers she had no recollection of the incident.
Her solicitor, Tom Lloyd, urged magistrates to impose a suspended sentence, arguing she had significant mental health issues and was engaging with support services.
“Letting her attempt to seek help on her own hasn’t worked,” he said. “If you look at the marks on her neck and hands, you can see this is someone with far more going on than just anxiety and depression.”
“This is an individual with complex needs who is extremely upset by what happened and wants to apologise to every officer involved,” he added.
Magistrates imposed an 18-week custodial sentence, suspended for 24 months. Callen must also comply with a mental health treatment requirement, attend 25 rehabilitation activity days with drug and alcohol support, and complete a 120-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement.
“I can’t emphasise enough that this is your last chance,” the presiding magistrate warned. “You’ve come that close to custody.”
Callen was also ordered to pay £85 costs, a £154 victim surcharge, and £100 in compensation to each of the two officers.
As she left court, Callen said: “Thank you so much. This won’t happen again. I just need support.”
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