News

‘Child abuser’ appears in crown court

Published

10 years ago

June 2, 2014

A PEMBROKESHIRE man, who formerly worked as a child youth worker employed by Pembrokeshire County Council, appeared before Swansea Crown Court on Friday of last week charged with 16 sexual offences against children. It was his first court appearance since he was bailed by Haverfordwest Court a few weeks ago.

The allegations include sexual touching, taking indecent photographs, and the possession of 1,129 indecent photographs of minors. Michael John Smith, known as ‘Mik’, aged 49, of Prendergast, Haverfordwest, is accused of touching the genitals and bottom of an eight-year-old boy, and encouraging a boy of eight to engage in sexual activity of a non-penetrative nature, including masturbation. He is expected to enter pleas at a hearing at the Crown Court on June 6. Meanwhile the Tanyard Youth Project, where Mik Smith was a director, is distancing itself from him. Kenwyn Corris Jones, of the Tanyard Youth Project, told The Herald in a statement: “Mik Smith was not a founder member of the Project when it was set up in 1999 [as previously reported]. He became an employee in 2001 and resigned in 2003 to take up other employment. He later became a member of the Trustee Board from 2004 until 2008 when he resigned due to other commitments. He added: “None of the current staff has ever worked with him, and no complaint relating to his employment or his time on the Trustee Board has ever been made. “Our child protection policies and practice and safeguarding training are robust and in accordance with the Pembrokeshire Safeguarding Children’s Board. “The Tanyard Youth Project is an independent organisation that works with many different partners and funders and is fully committed to providing a high quality service to young people in a safe and welcoming environment.” The Tanyard Youth Project added that they would make no further comment will be made by the Project whilst criminal proceedings are ongoing. Pembrokeshire County Council, who employed Smith until 2012, has written to concerned parents urging them to contact the police if they have concerns. It is understood that Smith had worked at, amongst other locations, the Pupil Referral Unit in Penally. In last week’s paper a production error led to the Council’s comment on our lead story being cut short. We are happy to correct this. The final paragraph of the lead regarding Mik Smith should have read: A Council spokesperson told us: “The individual formerly worked as a youth worker with County Council. He was dismissed almost three years ago. We are unable to reveal the reason for dismissal however we can say that it was unrelated to the charge/s he is facing in court.”

Crime

Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property

Published

11 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.

Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.

The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.

The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.

The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.

News

Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’

Published

11 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”

The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.

Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”

NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.

“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.

“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”

The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”

This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.

Community

Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed

Published

13 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.

The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.

Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.

Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.

The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.

With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.

“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”