ELIZABETH COURT SCENE STOOD DOWN AFTER DOMESTIC INCIDENT

A FOUR-HOUR police standoff in Pembroke Dock has ended with a 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the incident at Elizabeth Court has now been stood down and the scene released.

The man has been taken to hospital to receive medical attention.

Chief Inspector Dominic Jones said: “I want to thank local residents for their patience while we dealt with this incident. I understand that such a large police presence in a residential street is concerning to see, and I’m grateful to everyone who co-operated with our officers at the scene.

“I’d like to offer my reassurance that our units responded to an isolated domestic incident, and there was no further threat posed to the wider community. The scene has now been released, and we will investigate the full circumstances of this morning’s incident.”

Officers were called to the address this morning (Saturday, May 9), with a large police presence remaining in the area for several hours.

Eyewitnesses told The Herald that police were asking a man upstairs to come down, with tasers drawn during the incident.

Police dogs, specialist officers and what appeared to be a negotiator were also seen at the scene.

The incident lasted from around 11:00am until about 3:10pm.

TEENAGER REMANDED AHEAD OF JULY TRIAL

A 15-YEAR-old boy has denied attempting to murder a teacher during a stabbing incident at Milford Haven School.

The teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (May 8).

He pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and unlawful wounding with a knife.

The charges relate to an incident at Milford Haven School on Thursday, February 5, when emergency services were called after reports that a teacher had been assaulted by a pupil carrying a weapon.

The school was placed into lockdown and pupils were later safely evacuated.

The injured teacher was taken to hospital with stab wounds, but was discharged later the same day.

Police said at the time that specialist officers were supporting the victim and the wider school community.

The teenager was remanded in custody following Friday’s hearing.

A trial is due to begin on July 6.

By Owen Venables

WALES is facing a new political reality after the latest Senedd election produced no overall majority, leaving parties preparing for negotiations that could shape the next Welsh Government.

Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party following major gains across Wales, while Reform UK recorded a significant breakthrough and Labour suffered its worst Senedd result since devolution began in 1999. However, despite Plaid’s success, the party fell short of the numbers needed to govern alone.

Under the Senedd’s expanded system, 49 seats are required for an outright majority in the 96-seat chamber. No party reached that threshold, meaning Wales has entered a hung Senedd.

This is the first time since devolution that Labour has failed to emerge as the largest party in the Welsh Parliament. The scale of Labour’s losses was further underlined by the defeat of First Minister Eluned Morgan, who lost her own Senedd seat before announcing she would step down as leader of Welsh Labour.

Since the creation of the Senedd in 1999, Labour has either governed alone or led every Welsh administration, sometimes through coalition agreements or cooperation deals with smaller parties.

Attention will now turn to what happens behind closed doors over the coming days.

The most likely immediate step is talks between parties to determine whether a formal coalition government can be formed. Plaid Cymru, as the largest party, will almost certainly have the first opportunity to attempt to form a government, with party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth expected to begin discussions with other parties and independents.

One possible outcome is a coalition agreement involving smaller progressive parties such as the Greens or Liberal Democrats. Another possibility is a confidence-and-supply arrangement, where smaller parties agree to support a government on key votes, such as budgets and confidence motions, without formally entering government themselves.

Labour’s reduced numbers may still leave the party influential despite its heavy losses. In previous Senedd terms, Labour has governed through cooperation agreements, including its 2021 deal with Plaid Cymru. Some political figures may favour cross-party cooperation again in order to provide stability and prevent repeated deadlock votes in the chamber.

Reform UK’s strong performance also changes the political arithmetic significantly. Although the party is unlikely to be part of any governing coalition, its rise means it could become a powerful opposition force within the Senedd. Reform’s gains in former Labour strongholds reflect wider political changes already seen across parts of England, where support for traditional parties has weakened.

If no stable agreement can be reached, the Senedd would continue holding votes to elect a First Minister. Under Welsh parliamentary rules, if no First Minister is successfully appointed within 28 days, another election could potentially be triggered.

The coming days are therefore likely to be dominated by negotiations, compromise and political pressure as parties attempt to determine who can command enough support to govern.

While the election has reshaped Welsh politics, the biggest takeaway is that the era of automatic Labour dominance in Wales has come to an end, and the Senedd is now entering one of the most politically unpredictable periods in its history.