Community

The life of a crime scene cleaner: Ben Giles shares his harrowing experiences

Published

12 months ago

February 17, 2025

SOME of the images that Ben Giles has confronted over the past three decades have been stomach-churning.

He’s seen the brutality of murders, corpses left to rot for weeks on end, young children who have been mauled to death by dogs, victims of fatal car crashes, and an ever-increasing number of tragic suicides.

As he tackled each new scene as founder and director of Ultima Cleaning, Ben’s sole focus was on ensuring that the job was executed professionally. But it was only when he began working on his recently published book The Life of a Crime Scene Cleaner, that the true extent of those harrowing experiences began to hit home.

“Arriving at a crime scene, my main drive was to get the job done properly, but this meant not really thinking about what had happened,” Ben told The Pembrokeshire Herald.

“It was only when I began working on the book and started going over some of the scenes I’d confronted that I began to realise what some of those families had gone through.

“Yes, some of the things I’ve seen have been horrific.”

One image that will never leave Ben is that of a middle-aged woman who had been bludgeoned to death by her husband at their home in Birmingham.

“It made me realise that people sometimes die in ways that we don’t think possible,” he said. “I’d recently got married, and I just couldn’t accept how anything like this could happen between a husband and his wife.”

The woman had survived for three days on the kitchen floor but sadly died as she was being taken to hospital by ambulance. The entire room in which she’d been murdered was covered by a fine mist of blood, and bloody handprints and fingerprints were all over the kitchen units. The drawers had blood inside them and their runners, while the washing machine had so much blood on it that it had seeped into the door and into the seal.

“In a few hours, we’d completely cleaned the room and were travelling back home to our own wives and families. But the emotion that we were all feeling as a team will never leave me.”

Dealing with the unimaginable

On another occasion, Ben and his team were asked to attend a property in Penrhiwllan, near Newcastle Emlyn, where a man had lain dead for eight weeks.

“The smell was horrendous,” recalls Ben. “His face and legs had been eaten by his dog, and the man had begun decomposing through the carpet. His body fat had gone into the concrete. There were swarms of bluebottles everywhere.

“This was one of the very first biohazard cleaning jobs I’d ever done, so obviously the expectations were considerable. And in those days, we didn’t have Google to refer to, so it was a question of using our own knowledge and initiative to ensure the job was done well.”

Building a business from scratch

In many ways, this strong sense of self-belief has been the undercurrent of Ben’s life journey.

He left school at the age of 16 with a handful of GCSEs and no inclination to pursue further education.

“I knew I wanted to carry on living here in west Wales but I also knew that the qualifications I had weren’t going to get me the job or the salary I wanted,” explains Ben.

And so he set up his own window cleaning business.

“I managed to make a success of it,” he explains. “By the time I was 17, I was earning more money than my schoolteachers, and when I was 18, I was able to buy my first house and car.”

That same year, Ben decided to diversify into different methods of cleaning, focusing on offices and schools. By the time he was 23, he had a workforce of 20 people.

His first job came courtesy of a client who worked with the Aberystwyth branch of Age Concern.

“She told me that a warden-assisted flat hadn’t been cleaned for ten years. The bath was full to the brim with human faeces, as was the toilet, and the place was crawling with flies. Both the flats on either side were empty because of the smell.

“We cleaned the property that same day for a fee of £2,000, and I knew that by deodorising it and doing everything possible to clean it, we’d created an opportunity for the other flats to be let out too.”

A business built on expertise

Under Ben’s directorship, Ultima has been split into three categories:

Ultima Cleaning, specialising in crime scene and biohazard cleaning;
Ultima Academy, which offers specialist biohazard training to organisations such as police and prison officers, British Aerospace, and immigration officers;
Ultima’s Environmental Network, facilitated by some 400 operatives throughout the UK.

The company has also worked closely with leading pharmaceutical companies to develop pioneering cleaning materials for severe cleanup operations, while a mental health specialist is always on hand to support any staff members affected by their work.

Ultima remains the sole British company that can offer a two-hour call-out, operating from its centre in Newport, Gwent.

Selling Ultima Cleaning

In 2022, Ben made the difficult decision to sell Ultima Cleaning.

“When COVID hit, I was going to bed at 3am and waking up at 6, when there’d be 20 jobs already in, waiting to be sanitised. We were absolutely everywhere, and it nearly exhausted me and the team.

“So I suppose it was this that made me take stock of where I am today.

“Over the years, it’s become obvious that people love hearing about the work we do as loads of people love crime, and the most popular question I get asked has to be ‘What’s the worst thing you’ve ever had to clean up?’

“But people are also interested in my own personal journey.

“And this is why I decided to write the book. OK, so I’m a much better cleaner than I am a writer, but I’ve always kept a diary of my jobs, and this has helped me to select between 30 and 40 of the most interesting ones for the book.

“At the end of the day, I’m a normal guy from Cardigan who’s worked hard, who’s had a firm belief in everything I’ve done, and who’s succeeded.

“But the business has made me appreciate my life, my family, the wonderful people around me, and my home near Cardigan.

“Ultima has taught me a great deal about life, but perhaps the greatest thing is to forget the word ‘no’. If I’d said no to so many of those jobs over the years, there’s no way I’d be where I am today.”

The Life of a Crime Scene Cleaner is available from Amazon on Kindle (£7.99) and paperback (£15.99).

Community

Cleddau at heart of major water reforms as ministers promise ‘fundamental reset’

Published

3 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

New regulation plan aims to tackle pollution, sewage spills and ageing infrastructure

COMMUNITIES along the River Cleddau could see tighter controls on pollution and stronger oversight of water companies after ministers unveiled what they describe as a once-in-a-generation shake-up of how Wales’ water system is run.

The Welsh Government this week published a Green Paper promising cleaner rivers, tougher enforcement and a new Welsh economic regulator dedicated solely to the water sector.

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said it was time for a “fundamental reset” to rebuild public trust, warning that ageing infrastructure, climate pressures and growing concern about water quality meant the current system was no longer fit for purpose.

For Pembrokeshire residents, those words land close to home.

***A First Milk discharge pipe into the Western Cleddau at a spot known as Fortune’s Frolic on 16 June 2023 (Pic: Supplied)***

Local frustration growing

From Haverfordwest down to Milford Haven, the Cleddau is both a working waterway and a natural asset, supporting wildlife, leisure users, anglers and tourism businesses.

But in recent years there have been repeated complaints about sewage overflows, murky water after heavy rain and nutrient pollution washing in from across the catchment.

Storm discharges and wastewater treatment are the responsibility of Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, while environmental enforcement sits with national regulators. Many locals say neither has acted quickly enough when problems arise.

***Brown froth can be seen on the banks of the Western Cleddau*** **(Pic: Supplied)**

Residents and river users have told The Herald they feel the estuary is “worse than it used to be”, particularly after periods of wet weather when combined sewer overflows can activate.

Concerns range from the impact on fish stocks and birds to whether the water is safe for paddleboarding, sailing and wild swimming.

What ministers are proposing

The consultation sets out plans to:

create a new Welsh regulator focused on water
strengthen monitoring and enforcement
drive investment in ageing pipes and treatment works
improve transparency and accountability
support long-term environmental protection

Since 2022, the government says it has invested more than £56 million tackling water quality through enforcement, monitoring and nature-based solutions. A further £5 million has been earmarked next year specifically for river and coastal improvements.

Ministers say the changes should make it easier to fine or sanction poor performance and force faster upgrades where infrastructure is failing.

Why the Cleddau matters

The Cleddau catchment is one of west Wales’ most important waterways.

It feeds into the Milford Haven Waterway, a key centre for industry, energy, fishing and recreation, while also providing habitat for protected wildlife and drawing thousands of visitors each year.

Any decline in water quality has knock-on effects not just for nature but for jobs and the local economy.

Campaigners argue that without tougher oversight and sustained investment, the river risks long-term damage.

Consultation open

The Green Paper is now out for public consultation, with ministers inviting views from residents, businesses and community groups.

For many in Pembrokeshire, this may be a rare chance to push for specific improvements on their doorstep — from fewer sewage discharges to better monitoring of agricultural runoff and clearer reporting when incidents occur.

If the promised “reset” is to mean anything locally, it will be judged on one thing: whether the Cleddau actually gets cleaner.

The consultation is open on the Welsh Government website, and submissions can be made by individuals as well as organisations.

Community

Cilgerran Church in Wales school petition to be heard

Published

12 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A PETITION opposing proposed changes for a north Pembrokeshire school is to be heard by councillors later this week.

At last May’s meeting, Pembrokeshire County Council considered a report of the School Modernisation Working Group which outlined the findings of a review of education provision in the Preseli area.

A later July meeting backed a general consultation to discontinue Cilgerran Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School, and to establish it as a 3-11 community school.

“In particular, the review considered the extent of surplus school places in the area, set against a significant decline in the pupil population,” the council in its consultation has said.

The consultation closed on January 30.

Hundreds have opposed the proposed changes, with a petition, on the council’s own website opposing the changes recently closing after gaining 391 signatures.

Any petition of more than 100 signatures triggers a debate at one of the council’s scrutiny committees, in the case of Cilgerran that debate taking place at Pembrokeshire County Council’s February 5 schools and learning overview and scrutiny committee.

The Cilgerran e-petition, created by Louise Williams, raised concerns including the school could become part of a federation, a loss of permanent head teacher on site, a shared head teacher would have to oversee several schools, loss of funding control and the ability to maintain the school’s current healthy and stable funding, and a loss of commitment to the church, in turn could impact on the school’s and pupils values, beliefs and cultural beliefs.

It said: “Ysgol Cilgerran VC school has strong links with the Church community in Cilgerran and we believe this will have a negative impact on the children who attend the school, the community of Cilgerran and the links between the two.
“We are proud of our school ethos and values which are strengthened by our links with the church. The school has close and strong relationships with our Church in Wales federation governors one of which is also our safeguarding governor.

“Our Church Federation governors work closely with the school and are regular visitors to the school and the children. They provide vital support and guidance to the school and have a positive impact on the Children’s education. We believe these links will be weakened by this proposal to remove our VC status and we believe this is an un-necessary action.”

The proposals for Cilgerran are part of a wide range of potential education changes in the county.

Two petitions, opposing the potential closures of Manorbier and Ysgol Clydau schools, were recently heard at full council and a further petition opposing the potential closure of Stepaside School has recently been launched, which has generated enough support to be heard at a future council meeting.

Charity

Vincent Davies raises £13,682 for air ambulance charity

Published

19 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Independent Haverfordwest store backs lifesaving crews with year of community fundraising

A WEST WALES department store has raised more than thirteen thousand pounds for a lifesaving emergency service after a packed year of community fundraising.

Staff at Vincent Davies Department Store collected £13,682 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity, after voting the organisation their Charity of the Year for 2025.

The independent retailer organised events throughout the year, including an Easter bingo, bake sales, quizzes, raffles, staff sales, Christmas jumper days and a festive wreath-making workshop. Charity jam jars placed in Café Vincent also helped gather steady donations from customers.

One of the most popular attractions was the store’s charity singing penguin trio, which drew smiles from shoppers of all ages and boosted collections.

Sarah John, Joint Managing Director at Vincent Davies, said: “Raising £13,682 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity is something we are extremely proud of at Vincent Davies Department Store. As a director, it’s wonderful to see our community come together to support a charity that makes such a lifesaving difference.”

The air ambulance is consultant-led, delivering hospital-level treatment directly at the scene of serious incidents and, when needed, transferring patients straight to the most appropriate specialist hospital.

Working in partnership with the NHS through the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service, crews can provide advanced critical care including anaesthesia, blood transfusions and even minor surgical procedures before reaching hospital.

Operating across the whole of Wales, its teams travel the length and breadth of the country by helicopter and rapid response vehicle to reach patients quickly in both rural and urban areas.

This is not the first time the Haverfordwest store has backed the cause. In 2016, staff previously raised £5,831 when the charity was also chosen as their beneficiary.

Mike May, the charity’s West Wales Regional Fundraising Manager, said: “We are so grateful to Vincent Davies Department Store for raising an incredible amount for our charity. Throughout the year they put on a variety of different events and what a successful fundraising year it was.

“The charity needs to raise £13 million every year to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road. By raising £13,682, the staff and customers have played an important part in saving lives across Wales.”

The store says it will announce its Charity of the Year for 2026 in the coming weeks.