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Butterflies in Wales fail to recover despite record summer heat

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Pembrokeshire habitats remain under pressure as Big Butterfly Count reveals mixed results

BUTTERFLY numbers across Wales – including in Pembrokeshire’s coastal and upland habitats – remain under long-term pressure despite the hottest UK summer on record, new figures have revealed.

The results of Butterfly Conservation’s annual Big Butterfly Count show that while more insects were seen in 2025 than during last year’s record low, the overall picture remains bleak.

Across Wales, 7,704 people took part in the three-week survey, including nature enthusiasts, families and schools from Pembrokeshire. Together they counted 109,369 butterflies and moths, with an average of 12.2 butterflies per 15-minute count.

The most-seen species in Wales were the Large White (24,246), Small White (18,630), Red Admiral (14,978), Gatekeeper (12,202) and Meadow Brown (9,062). All are familiar sights in Pembrokeshire’s hedgerows, gardens and coastal grasslands.

Long-term decline

Dr Richard Fox, Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation, said the results underline a serious problem:
“We may feel like we’ve seen lots of butterflies this summer, but that’s only because last year was so awful. The figures suggest it’s actually been a pretty average year by modern standards.

“The 15-year Big Butterfly Count trends show that more than twice as many widespread species have declined significantly than have increased.”

While 2025’s warm summer helped boost numbers of some butterflies, species such as the Common Blue, Meadow Brown and Holly Blue fared badly. The Common Blue, a regular feature in Pembrokeshire meadows, recorded its third worst year on record.

Winners and losers

There were some bright spots. Both the Large White and Small White had their best ever Big Butterfly Count results. The Jersey Tiger moth, once largely restricted to the south-east of England but now spreading westward, had a record year and was spotted more widely than ever before.

But others struggled. The Small Tortoiseshell, which had its worst year on record in 2024, showed some improvement but remains in steep long-term decline – down 60% since 2011.

Pembrokeshire context

Local wildlife groups have long warned that Pembrokeshire’s butterfly populations are under stress from habitat loss, intensive farming practices, and pesticide use. The county’s diverse landscapes – from Preseli heathlands to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park – remain crucial refuges for species that are disappearing elsewhere.

A spokesperson for Butterfly Conservation Wales said: “The results highlight why places like Pembrokeshire are so important. We need to protect meadows, hedgerows and coastal grasslands, as well as encourage wildlife-friendly gardening. Every action helps.”

Call to action

Butterfly Conservation has now launched a rescue mission for UK butterflies, urging retailers to stop selling unlicensed synthetic pesticides for domestic use. The charity has opened an online letter for members of the public to sign.

Dr Fox added: “Even when the weather is good, the environment can now only support far fewer butterflies than it used to. The time to act is now. Until we restore habitats and reduce pesticide use, we will not see a real recovery.”

The Big Butterfly Count will return in 2026, running between July 17 and August 9.

Crime

Woman stabbed partner in Haverfordwest before handing herself in

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A WOMAN who stabbed her partner during a drug-fuelled episode walked straight into Haverfordwest Police Station and told officers what she had done, Swansea Crown Court has heard.

Amy Woolston, 22, of Dartmouth Street in Milford Haven, arrived at the station at around 8:00pm on June 13 and said: “I stabbed my ex-partner earlier… he’s alright and he let me walk off,” prosecutor Tom Scapens told the court.

The pair had taken acid together earlier in the day, and Woolston claimed she believed she could feel “stab marks in her back” before the incident.

Police find victim with four wounds

Officers went to the victim’s home to check on him. He was not there at first, but returned shortly afterwards. He appeared sober and told police: “Just a couple of things,” before pointing to injuries on his back.

He had three stab or puncture wounds to his back and another to his bicep.

The victim said that when he arrived home from the shop, Woolston was acting “a bit shifty”. After asking if she was alright, she grabbed something from the windowsill — described as either a knife or a shard of glass — and stabbed him.

He told officers he had “had worse from her before”, did not support a prosecution, and refused to go to hospital.

Defendant has long history of violence

Woolston pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. The court heard she had amassed 20 previous convictions from 10 court appearances, including assaults, battery, and offences against emergency workers.

Defending, Dyfed Thomas said Woolston had longstanding mental health problems and had been off medication prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia at the time.
“She’s had a difficult upbringing,” he added, saying she was remorseful and now compliant with treatment.

Woolston was jailed for 12 months, but the court heard she has already served the equivalent time on remand and will be released imminently on a 12-month licence.

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BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

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THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old. 

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Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

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THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines
docked at Pembroke Port yesterday afternoon last week, marking the start of physical
deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock on
shortly after 4pm on Wednesday 26th November, bringing tower sections and other heavy
components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the
existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, has arrived in Pembroke Port today is
due to arrive in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.
The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-
loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through
Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the
latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived last week yesterday with the first components,” she said. “We are
expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be
blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with
a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG
terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to
power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Port of Milford Haven shipping movements showed the Peak Bergen approaching the Haven
throughout Wednesday morning before finally tying up at the cargo berth in Pembroke Dock.

Cranes began unloading operations yesterday evening.

The Weather conditions are currently were favourable for this morning’s the arrival of
the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are
expected to begin early next year, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide training opportunities and energy-
bill support for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.
Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery
programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

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