Father and son Gareth and Daniel Willington honoured by fishing and rugby communities

A DECADE has passed since the Harvester fishing tragedy claimed the lives of father and son Gareth and Daniel Willington.

The pair, remembered as skilled fishermen, much-loved family members and cherished friends, remain deeply missed across the Welsh fishing community.

Gareth, 59, and Daniel, 32, left Milford Haven Docks in the early hours of Thursday (Apr 28), 2016, aboard the fishing vessel Harvester.

They were fishing for crab and lobster when the vessel got into difficulty off the north Pembrokeshire coast, near St Davids Head and Abereiddy.

The alarm was raised at around 2:30pm after reports of a fishing boat in trouble. A major search operation was launched involving the Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats and emergency services.

Gareth was recovered from the sea later that day and taken to Withybush Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Daniel was never found, despite extensive searches by rescue teams and local fishing vessels.

A later Marine Accident Investigation Branch report concluded that the most likely scenario was that Daniel became caught in rope while working on deck, and that Gareth went to help him, resulting in both men going overboard.

Neither man was wearing a personal flotation device at the time. The tragedy later led to renewed calls for stronger safety measures for fishermen working at sea.

The Fishermen’s Mission marked the anniversary today, saying Gareth and Daniel’s loved ones remain in their thoughts as the charity honoured the legacy they left behind in Welsh fishing — pysgota Cymru.

Their memory is also kept alive each year through the Willington Slate Trophy, contested by Pembroke Rugby Club and St Davids Rugby Club over two league matches.

The annual tradition not only remembers Gareth and Daniel, but also raises vital funds for The Fishermen’s Mission and the RNLI.

Supporters are being encouraged to look out for upcoming fixtures later in the year and to join the rugby and fishing communities in commemorating the Willingtons and their lives at sea.

Photo caption: Remembered at sea: Gareth and Daniel Willington, whose loss is still felt ten years after the Harvester fishing tragedy (Pic: The Willington family).

CLAIMS Tenby’s Brynhir housing development will house “illegal immigrants” through purchases by an English council have been refuted by Pembrokeshire County Council.

Back in 2024, the scheme, with nearly 100 “local houses for local people” was approved by national park planners.

In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council, which already owned the 15-acre Brynhir site on the edge of Tenby, ‘bought’ the land for £4million using its Housing Revenue Account.

Campaigners fought a two-year battle against the use of the land for housing, calling for protection for ‘Tenby’s last green space’ and fearing it would become a ‘concrete jungle’.

The county council was granted outline planning permission by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority for the development of 144 properties – including up to 102 affordable units – in 2020.

The later 2024 scheme proposed that only 125 houses be built, 93 of them affordable, and, of the 32 open market dwellings, 16 are shared ownership properties.

Tenby Civic Society has raised numerous concerns to the scheme and 20 objections were also received from members of the public, raising concerns including loss of green space, traffic issues, privacy, design, visual impacts and the scale of the development, sewage capacity, the site being no longer allocated for housing, potential antisocial behaviour within the play area, and a limitation on second homes/holiday lets being required.

At the September meeting, concerns about the proposal were raised by Jane Merrony of 1,100-member Tenby Green Space Preservation Society, who said it was inappropriate in its proposed location and “a visual intrusion which will be seen from Caldey Island”.

Since that approval, initial construction for the site started late last year.

The full development is set to be finished by 2029.

However, fears have been raised that some of the site will house “illegal immigrants” via an English council.

A member of the public raised their concerns saying: “Unconfirmed rumours have it that Liverpool City Council has bought houses in the development as their waiting list is so long due to illegal immigrants being housed in their stock, making it a 10-year waiting list to get local housing in Liverpool.

“Does this mean that Liverpool City Council will be offloading illegals onto the Tenby social housing?”

They added: “When the planning permission was going through, we were informed that all the housing would be mixed council, open-market and association houses with a covenant saying that you had to live, work or have links to the area to be considered for any of the units.”

Responding, a Pembrokeshire County Council spokesperson said: “These rumours are untrue. This site is owned and managed by the local authority. Allocations will be made to those from our Choice Homes register in accordance with a local connection lettings policy that will be developed in conjunction with the local town and community councils, and local community, in due course.”

Tributes have been paid following the passing of a Pembrokeshire county councillor of nearly 30 years, who was “passionately devoted” to his hometown of Pembroke Dock.

Cllr Brian Hall joined Pembrokeshire County Council following a by-election in 1996, representing Pembroke Dock’s Market ward.

A long-standing councillor, Cllr Hall was also a representative on the RWE Npower Pembroke Power Station and Valero Liaison Committee.

Cllr Hall had also represented the Authority on the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and the Swansea Bay City Region Joint Scrutiny Committee.

He was an active member of a number of Pembrokeshire County Council scrutiny committees and the planning committee.

He previously sat on the Cabinet, from its inception in 2002 until March 2007 and between 2012 and 2022, he chaired several Overview and Scrutiny Committees including Environment, Services and Corporate.

Pembrokeshire County Council Leader Cllr Jon Harvey said: “We were all very sad to hear of Cllr Brian Hall’s death.

“I pass on the condolences of everyone at the council to his family and many friends.

“Brian was a council stalwart and had been working for, and demanding better, for his constituents for nearly 30 years.

“His enthusiasm for his home patch was unmatched and there was little of Pembroke Dock’s history that he could not tell you about. The loss of Brian from the chamber will be felt by all members of council across the board.”

Independent Group Leader Cllr Anji Tinley expressed heartfelt condolences, stating: “The loss of Cllr Hall profoundly saddens us. He was a well-respected figure known for his dedication and commitment to local governance and his community.

“His legacy will live on in the lives he touched, and we will dearly miss him. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”

Presiding Member of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Simon Hancock said: “I am greatly saddened by the sudden passing of Councillor Brian Hall who was a member of the authority for nearly 30 years.

“Brian was a larger-than-life character who was passionately devoted to Pembroke Dock and his constituents. He never let an opportunity pass without mentioning and advancing the interests of his hometown. We extend sincere condolences to his family.”

Pembroke Dock Town council added: “It’s with great sadness to hear of the passing of our county and town councillor Brian Hall.

“Brian served his Ward of Pembroke Dock as a County Council for 30 years with passion and pride and he will be missed by many.”

Mayor of Pembroke Dock Cllr Michele Wiggins said: “It is very sad news and I extend my condolences to everyone who knew Brian. He was a hard working county councillor and town councillor for many years. There wasn’t much of Pembroke Dock’s history he didn’t know. He will be sadly missed.”

Fellow county councillor Cllr Rhys Jordan also paid tribute: “I was very saddened to hear of Brian’s passing over the weekend. He was a lovable rogue with a heart of gold.

“If anything, his greatest flaw was trying to help everyone, something that truly defined the kind of man he was. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Pembroke Dock and could captivate you for hours with his stories, whether about the town itself or his business links in Ireland.

“Brian was deeply dedicated to his role and was almost always the first to arrive in the members room, often there by 7am. That quiet commitment spoke volumes about his character.

“Above all, he was a devoted husband, and my thoughts are with his wife, family, and many friends at this incredibly difficult time. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”