Co-founder of Terrence Higgins Trust attended local plaque unveiling honouring friend Terry Higgins

A LEADING figure in the UK’s response to the HIV/AIDS crisis has died aged 71 — just months after attending a plaque unveiling ceremony in Haverfordwest honouring his close friend Terry Higgins.

Martyn Butler, who helped establish the Terrence Higgins Trust in 1982 following Higgins’ death from an AIDS-related illness, died on Friday (Feb 21). He had remained active in awareness work for more than four decades and was widely recognised for his contribution to public health campaigning.

The Terrence Higgins Trust confirmed his death, paying tribute to his lifelong commitment to supporting people living with HIV and improving sexual health education across the UK.

Butler’s connection to Pembrokeshire was particularly strong. Terry Higgins, after whom the charity is named, grew up in Haverfordwest and attended Tasker Milward School. Higgins is widely recognised as one of the first people in the UK known to have died from AIDS-related complications in 1982.

Last year, Butler travelled to Haverfordwest to attend the unveiling of a blue plaque commemorating Higgins’ life. The ceremony marked an important moment in recognising both Higgins’ story and the wider history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which claimed thousands of lives in the UK during the 1980s and 1990s.

Friends and colleagues described Butler as a tireless advocate who helped shape the national response to the emerging AIDS crisis at a time when fear, stigma and misinformation were widespread.

In the early days of the epidemic, Butler famously used his own home telephone number as part of one of the UK’s first AIDS helplines, offering advice and support to people who had nowhere else to turn.

Over the decades that followed, the Terrence Higgins Trust grew into the country’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, providing testing services, education programmes, support networks and national campaigning.

Butler was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2022 in recognition of his services to people affected by HIV.

Tributes have been paid from across the UK health and charity sectors, with colleagues describing him as compassionate, determined and instrumental in changing public attitudes towards HIV.

His death comes at a time when medical advances mean people living with HIV can now expect near-normal life expectancy with treatment — a transformation many campaigners say would not have been possible without the groundwork laid by early activists such as Butler.

Local figures who met him during the Haverfordwest plaque unveiling said he remained passionate about ensuring the stories of those affected by HIV — including Terry Higgins — were remembered by future generations.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been publicly announced.

Image:

Martyn Butler at the Terry Higgins plaque unveiling in Haverfordwest (Pic: Martin Cavaney).

DYFED POWYS POLICE are dealing with an incident at a secondary school after a threat was reportedly made by telephone.

Officers were called to Maesydderwen Comprehensive School in Ystradgynlais on Monday (Mar 2), where the school implemented its lockdown procedure as a precaution to prioritise safety.

A police spokesperson said officers are working with the school following the report and parents have been informed through the school messaging app.

Police confirmed there are no reports of anyone injured and that all pupils and staff on site are safe and secure.

Officers remain at the scene and further information will be shared when available.

HOUSE prices across the UK increased by one per cent over the past year, according to the latest figures from Nationwide, but experts have warned that global tensions could quickly undermine the fragile recovery.

The building society’s House Price Index showed prices rose by 0.3% month-on-month, with the average UK property now costing £273,176, up from £270,873 in January.

Nationwide said the figures suggested a modest recovery following uncertainty towards the end of 2025, with improved affordability and easier access to credit supporting buyer activity.

Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist said: “This reinforces the view of a modest recovery after a dip at the end of 2025, most likely reflecting uncertainty around potential property tax changes ahead of the Budget.”

He added that housing market transactions during 2025 were ten per cent higher than in 2024, with first-time buyer mortgage completions up 18% year-on-year and home mover activity rising 15%.

However, property experts warned that geopolitical developments, including recent US strikes on Iran, could disrupt progress if oil prices rise sharply.

Babek Ismayil, CEO of homebuying platform OneDome said events in the Middle East could prove inflationary and delay anticipated interest rate cuts.

“It’s currently a very fluid situation,” he said.

Mortgage advisers also warned that rising inflation could push borrowing costs higher again.

Shaun Sturgess, director of Swansea-based Sturgess Mortgage Solutions said: “The recovery in the property market could be derailed quite quickly if oil prices continue to rise sharply.”

He added that expectations inflation would soon return to target were now under threat, potentially delaying Bank of England rate cuts.

Andrew Montlake, CEO at Coreco, said markets had been pricing in reductions this year but that outlook had changed.

“The UK economy and property market, which so desperately needs a rate cut or two, may now have to wait longer,” he said.

Experts said mortgage brokers would be closely monitoring financial markets in the coming days, particularly swap rates, which influence fixed mortgage pricing.

Despite the uncertainty, some advisers noted shifts within the market, with first-time buyers increasingly targeting larger homes while landlords purchase flats at reduced prices.