News

Rapist councillor to appeal child sex conviction

Published

8 years ago

July 25, 2018

THE FORMER Mayor of Pembroke and convicted child rapist Dai Boswell is to appeal his conviction of historic child sex offences.

The Herald has been told by Pembrokeshire County Council that Boswell lodged an appeal against conviction and sentence last week.

The St Mary North representative’s conviction had led to calls on social media for him to be somehow ‘sacked’ as a councillor.

However, due to a 46-year-old piece of legislation, Boswell is still able to receive his allowance as a member of the County Council and there is nothing the Council can do to stop it.

The fact that the former Mayor of Pembroke, who has been convicted of a string of historical sex offences is able to continue to receive his allowance has caused understandable outrage. However, PCC are powerless to remove him as a councillor due to the terms of the Local Government Act 1972.

The power to amend the legislation and change the criteria for when a councillor may and may not remain in post is under the control of the Welsh Government, and amending the law would require specific legislation to the Welsh Assembly, which is now in recess.

The law currently means that steps to disqualify a councillor can only be taken if they fail to appeal to the conviction within 28 days of sentence being passed upon them – in Boswell’s case that no longer applies.

As he is appealing his conviction, Boswell cannot now be disqualified under the provisions of the relevant part of the Act covering disqualification until the conclusion of the appeal process and only then if his conviction is upheld.

To heap further misery upon the Council – which is copping an extraordinary amount of criticism – there is nothing it can do to either short-circuit that process or to take steps that would amount to going behind it by suspending the paedophile councillor until the end of his appeal.

When we asked the County Council to explain the position for our readers, a spokesperson told us: ”Pembrokeshire County Council is aware that there is some speculation around the position of Councillor David (Dai) Boswell following sentencing on 13 July for extremely serious sexual offences against two children.

“Unless the Councillor resigns from his position, the Council can only disqualify a Member if, since election, he has been convicted of an offence and has been sentenced to imprisonment for a period of not less than three months.

“Conviction is deemed to occur on expiry of the period allowed for making an appeal or application with respect to the conviction (the defence has 28 days in which to serve an appeal notice following conviction), or the date on which such appeal/application is finally disposed of. Councillor Boswell submitted a notice of appeal against all convictions and sentence on 16 July.

”Councillor Boswell retains his seat and is currently entitled to receive a salary. The Council cannot declare a vacancy until the appeal process is completed or, if the date is sooner, the date six months from which he has failed to attend a meeting of the Council, that date being 23 October 2018.”

In short, due to the way the Local Government Act was drafted almost half a century ago, a ‘conviction’ does not become what might be deemed ‘a final conviction’ until after a failed appeal and Boswell remains a councillor until that point and entitled to his remuneration as such.

However, a possibility remains open for the Council to pursue in order to rid itself of Boswell in a few months’ time.Under the law, if a councillor fails to attend a meeting for a period of six months, they can be removed and a by-election called.

Child-rapist Boswell last attended a meeting of the Council on April 23.The period of six months for disqualification runs forward from that date and continues to run at the same time as any period following conviction, sentence, and/or appeal. It is highly unlikely that any Judge would even consider an application to set aside any decision by the Council to remove Boswell from his Pembroke St Mary’s seat after the six month period had elapsed, unless further assurances had been given to Boswell by Council officers in relation to the rule’s operation upon him before St George’s Day or afterwards.

We asked the NSPCC whether they were actively lobbying for a change in the law to prevent such a scandal occurring again.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Boswell was convicted of appalling sex offences against children and it is right that he now faces many years behind bars where he cannot harm others.

“It is wrong that someone convicted of sexual crimes against children can continue to serve as an elected official for any period of time and we support a change to the law to ensure situations like this are not repeated.”

The key point is that it is a change in the law which is required, not unilateral and unlawful action by the Council, however well-intentioned.Moreover, the WLGA developed the same point in its press statement on the Boswell case.

After pointing out the extreme rarity of cases such as Boswell’s, a WLGA spokesperson said: “The issue in question is a legal anomaly in the current framework that needs to be urgently addressed. A guilty verdict does mean an automatic disqualification, following a 28-day window for a possible appeal.

“This is where the problem is located and needs urgent review, especially as this deplorable offence is a fundamental breach of the statutory duty that councillors have to ensure that all children within local authority areas are safeguarded and protected.”

Meanwhile, councillors will be ruing the advice tendered to Boswell by Monitoring Officer Claire Jones last year – namely, that he did not have to attend council meetings as seminars would do – that issue now is more to do with the confidence they can have in the Monitoring Officer.The Herald has spoken to a number of councillors, all of whom are less than impressed by the position into which the Monitoring Officer’s advice to Boswell has placed them, with one suggesting it would be hard for Ms Jones to regain members’ trust in the validity of her judgements in light of the mess.

Those feelings are intensified by the fact that had Boswell applied for a leave of absence under the rules, as a person innocent until proven guilty it would have been bound to have been granted. It is possible that in seeking to avoid one unpopular decision, a ‘solution’ was reached which has now come back to bite those officers involved in the original decision. A decision upon which no councillors were consulted.

That confidence will have been further eroded by the extraordinary debacle that saw members of the Council’s staff scuttling around County Hall to find records and a dramatic reinterpretation of the status of a sandwich lunch attended by Boswell in November 2017 before James Goudie QC was able to support the Monitoring Officer’s peculiar interpretation of the rules and regulations.

News

Questions raised over delayed west Wales express coach as FOI row deepens

Published

17 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Concerns mount over transparency after Transport for Wales delays response on key documents

QUESTIONS are being raised over the future of a long-promised express coach service linking north and south west Wales, after a Freedom of Information (FOI) request triggered a delay by Transport for Wales.

The proposed express route between Bangor and Carmarthen was identified in a Welsh Government-backed business case in early 2025 as a key project capable of cutting journey times by up to 90 minutes.

However, more than a year after a public consultation was held, there has been no clear update on funding, delivery, or timelines.

Now, a detailed FOI request submitted to TfW is seeking answers — including business case documents, internal communications, and consultation results — but the transport body has said it needs more time to respond.

FOI delay sparks concern

In a reply dated Friday (Mar 27), TfW said it was relying on Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act, which relates to commercial interests, and that it required additional time to carry out a public interest test.

The authority has indicated it will respond fully by April 28.

But the applicant, Dr John McTighe, has challenged that position, arguing that most of the requested information — including meeting dates, consultation documents, and performance data — cannot reasonably be considered commercially sensitive.

He has warned that failure to provide the non-sensitive material promptly could result in a referral to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Contrast with north Wales rollout

The FOI request also highlights the introduction of the TrawsCymru T51 service between Wrexham and Rhyl, which was launched in 2025 and is set to receive a fleet of new vehicles this year.

Critics argue that while the north Wales route has progressed quickly, the west-coast express proposal — described as a “headline ambition” for improving north–south connectivity — appears to have stalled.

The Herald understands that the Bangor–Carmarthen route was backed by a positive business case and formed part of wider plans to improve long-distance public transport links across Wales.

Transparency questions

The request seeks details of meetings, internal correspondence, and consultation analysis — including the results of a public consultation which TfW said would be assessed using specialist software.

It also asks for information on how passenger numbers and performance data are monitored across the TrawsCymru network.

Concerns have been raised that key performance data, including annual passenger figures and punctuality statistics, are not routinely published in full.

Calls for clarity

The delay has prompted fresh calls for transparency over how decisions are made on publicly funded transport services in Wales.

There is particular concern in west Wales that strategic investment may not be progressing at the same pace as elsewhere, despite longstanding commitments to improve connectivity along the western corridor.

A spokesperson for Transport for Wales said the organisation is considering where the balance of public interest lies before releasing the requested information, and confirmed a full response will be issued by April 28.

The Welsh Government has been approached for comment.

Local Government

Oil spill alert after pollution hits Pembroke stream and Castle Pond

Published

22 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Heating oil believed to have entered water via culvert as investigation and clean-up continue

AN UGENT investigation is underway after a suspected heating oil spill contaminated the Commons Stream and spread into Castle Pond in Pembroke.

Pembroke Town Council first raised the alarm, warning residents of a potential pollution incident affecting the watercourse. Officers from Pembrokeshire County Council’s Pollution Control Team and Natural Resources Wales are now on site working to identify the source and contain the spill.

Further information from local county councillor Aaron Carey suggests the oil likely entered the stream through a culvert near Foundry House, indicating the source may lie somewhere to the south of that location.

The substance is believed to be domestic heating oil. It is not yet known whether the spill was accidental or the result of a possible attempted fuel theft.

Residents in St Daniel’s Hill, South Road and Orange Gardens are being urged to check their heating oil tanks for any signs of damage or unexplained loss.

Witnesses reported seeing a blue-green sheen on the water near the castle side earlier today, raising concerns about the extent of the contamination.

Clean-up efforts are ongoing, and members of the public may notice increased activity around the stream and pond while teams work to manage the incident.

Anyone with information or concerns is advised to contact the relevant authorities.

News

Reform UK candidate quits days after Nazi salute row

Published

48 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Corey Edwards stood in Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg and appeared at national hustings shortly before stepping down

REFORM UK Senedd candidate Corey Edwards has stepped down from the upcoming election, just days after controversy over a photograph appearing to show him making a Nazi salute.

The party confirmed on Thursday (Mar 27) that Edwards had withdrawn from the race, citing mental health issues. A spokesperson said: “Corey Edwards has informed us that he is stepping down as a candidate for the Senedd election this May, citing issues with his mental health.

“We wish him well for the future and hope his privacy can be respected at this difficult time.”

Edwards had been selected as Reform UK’s lead candidate for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg, meaning he was in a strong position to be elected if the party secured a seat in the constituency.

His withdrawal comes shortly after a photograph emerged, first published by Nation.Cymru, which appeared to show him performing a Nazi salute. Edwards said the image, taken in 2019, could be “misinterpreted” and claimed he had been imitating either a scene from Fawlty Towers or Welsh footballer Wayne Hennessey, who was previously involved in a similar controversy.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the image “looked terrible” but confirmed Edwards would not be removed as a candidate at the time, describing him as “a human being” and referencing the sitcom scene as context.

Edwards had also appeared publicly as a Reform representative at a national youth hustings event in Cardiff on Thursday (Mar 19), alongside politicians from other major parties.

In a statement, Edwards said: “Like many young people, I have made mistakes. But I am proud of the person I am today and the values I stand for.”

The Herald understands that Reform UK has not yet confirmed whether a replacement candidate will be selected for the constituency.