News

Local authority misleads pupils

Published

10 years ago

April 12, 2016

countyhall

THE HERALD has seen a letter from the Council’s education department regarding its eleventh hour cancellation of a meeting between Kate Evans-Hughes, the local authority’s recently appointed Director of Education, and the School Councils of Tasker-Milward and Sir Thomas Picton School.

Ms Evans-Hughes, whose conduct during the consultation has been the subject of complaints to the local authority, cancelled a meeting with members of the schools’ pupil bodies due to take place on March 15 and Prendergast Archives Centre.

While school students were disappointed at the late cancellation of the meeting and the thwarting of their chance to let their views be known to the person with ultimate responsibility for ignoring them, the content of the communication to the schools telling them of the cancellation has raised yet more questions about the Council’s cavalier approach to its legal responsibilities.

The letter, signed by Huw Jones, Professional Officer, Planning Places & Admissions at County Hall, states that. ‘It is considered that there is little purpose in holding further specific events to ascertain the views of pupils on the Council’s proposals for Haverfordwest, particularly as we already have sufficient evidence of their views from previous proposals’.

However, that letter represents either a deliberate or negligent omission of one salient fact that appears at the head of every page of the Council’s current and ongoing consultation; namely, ‘Please note: this consultation supersedes all previous statutory consultation undertaken in relation to secondary school reorganisation in Haverfordwest. Responses previous consultations will not be reconsidered’.

In other words the Council, is telling students it has no need to consult with them because it has their previous responses which it will not consider.

The apparent complete contempt for the views of students is as nothing, however, with the very clear contempt that the Council has for the Code it is supposed to be following in relation to ascertaining pupils’ views. Those rules provide that Pembrokeshire County Council MUST make suitable arrangements to consult with pupils of any affected school… and, where possible, with children and young people who are likely to attend those schools.

As a minimum, this must include consultation with the school councils of the affected schools, but should also include consultation with individual learners where this is appropriate and practicable. Governing bodies must help facilitate this aspect of the consultation’.

At the very least, the letter from the Council to head teachers about the consultation with pupils is a gross misstatement of the position with the potential to mislead pupils that their responses are no longer required. At the very worst, the letter from the Council to head teachers about the consultation with pupils is a deliberate attempt to mislead both pupils and schools as to the terms of the consultation and pupils’ participation in it.

In either the event the breach of Code is clear and, should the Council elect to proceed with the consultation in spite of the breach, it lays itself open to a legal challenge on the basis of that breach.

The Herald invited a comment from the Director of Education and/or the Head of Legal Services asking for clarification of how the Council is able to reconcile Huw Jones’s email with either the content of the Code or the content of its own consultation document.

A spokesperson told us: ‘In accordance with the School Organisation Code, the Council has made suitable arrangements to consult with pupils, and the School Councils of all affected schools have been invited to respond to the current consultation on the proposal to reorganise secondary education provision in Haverfordwest. There is, however, no requirement to hold consultation meetings.

‘All responses from previous consultations have been declared null and void and will not form part of any evidence presented to Council.

‘The Council is committed to securing the views of all stakeholders and their responses will be included when the Consultation Report is considered by Council. This will clearly show whether young people have engaged in the process’.

We responded and pointed out that the response completely ignored the fact the letter said the Council did not need to meet with pupils as it already knew what their views were from previous consultations, even though it now said it would disregard them in ongoing exercise.

We received no reply.

Crime

Teacher assaulted by pupil with weapon at Milford Haven school

Published

26 minutes ago

February 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Teenager arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after lockdown triggered

A TEACHER was assaulted by a pupil brandishing a weapon at Milford Haven School on Tuesday afternoon (Feb 4), triggering an emergency lockdown and a major police response.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police were called to the school at around 3:20pm following reports that a member of staff had been attacked.

A lockdown was immediately implemented, with doors secured and pupils and staff told to remain inside classrooms and offices while the situation was dealt with.

Most pupils had already left at the end of the school day, but some remained on site for after-school activities.

Police confirmed that the injured teacher’s wounds are not believed to be stab injuries and they are currently receiving medical treatment.

Superintendent Chris Neve said: “We can confirm police are at Milford Haven Comprehensive School, following a report of the assault of a teacher by a pupil brandishing a weapon at the school at approx. 3.20pm.

“The teacher’s injury is not a stab injury. A lock down was implemented but has now been lifted. The teacher is receiving medical treatment for their injuries.

“All pupils at the location are safe, and most have gone home. Officers remain at the school.

“A 15-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempt murder and is in police custody.”

Parents told The Herald they were alerted to the lockdown shortly after 3:00pm via messages and social media, with some describing staff and pupils being kept inside rooms for safety as a precaution.

The lockdown has since been lifted, but officers remain at the scene while enquiries continue.

There have been no reports of any injuries to pupils.

The Herald has also contacted Pembrokeshire County Council for further comment.

Photo caption: Police vehicles outside Ysgol Aberdaugleddau Milford Haven School following Tuesday afternoon’s incident (Pics: Herald).

Crime

Lockdown at Milford Haven School after emergency services called

Published

46 minutes ago

February 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A LOCKDOWN was put in place at Milford Haven School shortly after the end of the school day on today (Feb 5), with police and other emergency services attending the site and the situation ongoing as of late afternoon.

Staff used the tannoy system just after 3:00pm to announce that the school was entering lockdown.

While most pupils had already gone home, a number remained on site for after-school clubs and activities. As part of the procedure, doors were locked and those inside were instructed to stay in classrooms or offices.

One member of non-teaching staff wrote on social media that they had been “locked in a room” for protection.

Several marked vehicles from Dyfed-Powys Police were seen outside the school gates, with officers remaining at the scene.

The exact nature of the incident has not yet been confirmed.

The Herald has contacted both Pembrokeshire County Council and police for clarification, but no official statement had been issued at the time of publication.

Lockdown procedures are standard in schools and are designed to keep pupils and staff safe by restricting movement and securing buildings while a potential risk is assessed.

Parents told The Herald they were informed that children were safe but that movement around the campus had been temporarily restricted.

There have been no confirmed reports of injuries.

It is not yet clear when the lockdown will be lifted.

This is a developing story and will be updated as soon as further information becomes available.

Photo caption: Police vehicles outside Milford Haven School during Tuesday afternoon’s lockdown (Pics: Herald).

Crime

Sex offender who vanished after release jailed after walking into police station

Published

57 minutes ago

February 5, 2026

Staff Writer

Man subject to Crimewatch appeal admitted breaching lifetime notification rules after months living ‘off grid’

A REGISTERED sex offender who sparked a nationwide police hunt after disappearing on release from prison has been jailed after walking into a Pembrokeshire police station and handing himself in.

Christopher Spelman, aged 66 and of no fixed address, had been missing since July last year after refusing to comply with strict legal requirements to register his whereabouts with police.

Instead, officers were told he intended to buy a tent and live “off grid”.

The disappearance triggered an extensive search led by Lancashire Police, supported by forces across the UK. Public appeals were issued and the case was highlighted on Crimewatch in a bid to trace him.

Police believed Spelman was moving between campsites and travelling by public transport, with links to several parts of England and Wales including Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

The search ended unexpectedly on January 3 when Spelman walked into Haverfordwest Police Station and surrendered himself. He was arrested at the front desk. It is not known how long he had been in Pembrokeshire before handing himself in.

Lifetime registration

Swansea Crown Court heard that Spelman had previously been jailed for seven years in 2014 for sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14.

That conviction placed him on the sex offenders register for life, requiring him to notify police of his address and report any changes within three days.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson told the court that after his most recent release from a Dorset prison on July 4, 2025, Spelman made it clear he would not provide an address, immediately putting himself in breach of the law.

When he failed to contact officers, a formal manhunt began.

The court also heard this was not the first time he had vanished. Following an earlier release in 2016, he similarly failed to register and remained at large for around five years before being located.

‘Unusual case’

Defence barrister Andrew Evans described the matter as “unusual”, telling the court that Spelman disputes his original conviction and has long expressed a desire to live outside society.

However, he said the defendant had now accepted that, regardless of his personal views, he remained bound by a court order and must comply with it.

Evans added that Spelman had asked the court to impose a custodial sentence to allow time for proper accommodation and supervision to be arranged for his eventual release.

Sentencing, Judge Geraint Walters said there were signs Spelman wished to change but warned that any future breaches would lead to longer prison terms.

Spelman, who has 11 previous convictions covering 29 offences, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the notification requirements.

With credit for his guilty plea, he was jailed for ten months. He will serve up to half that time in custody before being released on licence.