Tribunal wage ruling and holiday home dispute add to concerns surrounding business

MORE individuals have contacted The Pembrokeshire Herald following last week’s investigation into complaints linked to Computer Solutions Wales, including a former employee awarded nearly £14,000 by a tribunal and a holiday home owner who says he lost £1,000 over an unfinished job.

The Herald previously reported concerns raised by customers across Pembrokeshire and south Wales alleging missing devices, unpaid refunds and prolonged delays connected to the business.

Since publication, additional readers have come forward with similar accounts.

Tribunal ruling over unpaid wages

Matthew Allen told The Herald he worked for the business between February and July 2023 but did not receive wages.

Employment Tribunal documents seen by this newspaper show his claim against Computer Solutions Pembs Ltd was found to be well founded, with the company ordered to pay £13,952.49 in unpaid wages, notice pay, pension contributions and holiday pay.

The judgment was issued in January 2024.

Mr Allen said he has yet to recover the money and believes the total owed has increased due to interest accruing since the ruling.

Holiday home Wi-Fi dispute

Retired builder David Norman Barrett, who runs holiday accommodation, visited The Herald offices last week and described a separate dispute relating to Wi-Fi installation work.

Mr Barrett said he paid Steven Grant £1,000 to install new equipment at one of his rental properties but the work was not completed.

He said repeated attempts to arrange follow-up visits were met with explanations that Grant was unwell or dealing with other urgent matters.

“One time he said he had collapsed and was in hospital so couldn’t attend. I did not believe him,” Mr Barrett said.

He said Grant later requested additional payments despite the original amount being paid upfront.

Mr Barrett said he eventually instructed another company to complete the work.

“They were excellent and finished everything properly for £600,” he said.

“I was ripped off, and then he blocked me so I couldn’t contact him.”

Mr Barrett’s grandson, Tom, confirmed his account to the newspaper.

Dispute over payment

A Herald reporter contacted Steven Grant by telephone regarding Mr Barrett’s complaint.

Grant confirmed he had received money from Mr Barrett and said he was aware a second company later completed the work, but disputed the amount involved.

“Mr Barrett had given me money, but not £1,000,” he said.

Grant also alleged that Mr Barrett had taken his tools, which he said was the reason he did not return to complete the job.

Mr Barrett denied this allegation, saying: “It’s just another lie on top of all the other lies.”

Grant said he had blocked Mr Barrett because he considered his contact to be harassment. He declined to provide any further comment to The Herald.

Ongoing investigation

The complaints follow The Herald’s earlier report detailing multiple customer concerns relating to repairs and replacement equipment, as well as civil court action taken by some customers.

Companies House records show Computer Solutions Pembs Ltd, previously associated with the business, was dissolved in July 2025 following compulsory strike-off proceedings.

Dyfed-Powys Police previously confirmed that complaints brought to their attention were considered civil matters rather than criminal investigations.

Further individuals have contacted The Herald since publication of the original article. The newspaper is currently speaking to additional witnesses and reviewing documentation to establish which complaints can be placed on the record.

Three volunteers recognised for years of dedication to keeping beachgoers safe

THREE long-serving members of Tenby Surf Life Saving Club have been recognised for their commitment and dedication, receiving Long Service Awards at the charity’s recent presentation evening.

Jules Rilston, Angelo Fecci and Ian Badham were each honoured for their sustained contributions to surf lifesaving in Tenby over many years of voluntary service.

Club chairman Tai Jackson thanked the trio for their commitment to the club and the wider lifesaving movement on behalf of the committee and members.

Tenby Surf Life Saving Club is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit registered charity and one of 31 volunteer lifeguard clubs across Wales. During 2025, its lifesavers delivered 188 hours of volunteer patrols and assisted 113 people along the coastline.

The club also runs a youth education programme, known as Nippers and Junior Lifesaving, which provided more than 104 hours of training to 60 local children last year. Young participants are taught vital water safety skills, first aid knowledge and how to enjoy water sports safely and sustainably.

The club is currently recruiting new volunteers to support both frontline lifesaving activities and essential behind-the-scenes roles, including committee positions and fundraising support.

A SEARCH is underway to determine whether the remains of five executed prisoners from the nineteenth century may still lie beneath a council-owned car park in Carmarthen.

A deep-ground scan was carried out at the Carmarthenshire County Hall site on Sunday (Feb 15), where the former Carmarthen prison once stood. The investigation is focusing on the possible burial locations of four convicted murderers and one convicted forger who were executed between 1818 and 1894, when prison gardens occupied the land now used for parking.

The survey was conducted using a digital ground-penetrating radar system operated by Shane Gwilt of Leica Geosystems. The findings have been sent overseas for specialist analysis, with results expected within the next week.

County Hall stands on the historic site of Carmarthen Gaol, which closed in 1922. Although the prison buildings were demolished in the 1930s, local historian and former Mayor of Carmarthen, Richard Goodridge, believes the bodies were never exhumed and may remain in their original graves.

Carmarthenshire County Council has confirmed it has no intention of disturbing or removing any remains should they be identified.

Richard Goodridge said: “I strongly believe, based on the evidence and research I have carried out over the last two years, that the remains of these five convicted felons, hanged for their crimes, still remain where they were buried after their execution.

“It is the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle that, if confirmed, will lay to rest a great mystery that has fascinated Carmarthen residents for over a hundred years. It is unbelievable that the bodies were not exhumed when the prison was demolished.

“Finding them will at least bring to an end a mystery worthy of a Sherlock Holmes novel.”

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr Alun Lenny, said the investigation had been carried out without disruption or cost to the authority.

He said: “The work carried out on Sunday in an attempt to discover the remains of the five executed criminals didn’t disturb the car park surface in any way and was at no cost to the county council. But it may add another chapter to the colourful history of Carmarthen as Wales’ oldest town, so we await the results with anticipation.”