News

Jail for woman who stole £93,000 from trusting elderly widow

Published

6 years ago

September 28, 2020

A WOMAN who stole £93,000 from an elderly widow who had come to trust her as a friend has been jailed for 28 months.

Fiona Louise Harwood, of High Street in Neyland, abused her position as power of attorney while informally caring for a woman in her 80s, to access her bank account and spend thousands of pounds on clothes, a holiday and dating websites.

The victim had so much trust in Harwood, who she had initially paid as a cleaner, that she had amended her will to leave the 50-year-old her house. She later discovered her friend had flouted her position for her own gain.

Dyfed-Powys Police sergeant Stuart Wheeler, who investigated the claims of fraud, explained that the incidents were reported to the force in January 2019.

He said: “This was a saddening investigation to work on, as it transpired the suspect had blatantly abused the trust of a vulnerable elderly woman who believed she could depend on her.

“Before coming to police, the victim had become aware that she hadn’t received a bank statement for over a year, and asked a friend to help her look into it.

“It transpired that the victim’s friend had been alerted to suspicious financial activity around six months earlier, when a Debenhams statement was received showing purchases made at the firm’s Exeter branch. Not only did the victim not hold an account with Debenhams, but the friend was aware that Harwood had recently visited the city.

“After contacting the bank for up-to-date statements, the friend saw there was a huge shortfall from the victim’s accounts, with just £6,000 remaining across an ISA, savings and current account.”

Paperwork showed four pages of purchases from Amazon, which the victim would not know how to use, stores including Next and Joules, and online dating sites.

Officers visited the victim, and learned that she had known Harwood for many years and had employed her to clean her home. She went on to claim a carer’s allowance, and was given power of attorney when the victim’s husband died in 2016.

“The sum of money missing from the victim’s accounts far surpassed what would have been spent in caring for the victim,” PS Wheeler said.

“She had taken advantage of a friend in an appalling way.”

As well as using the victim’s card to go shopping, financial checks showed Harwood had withdrawn £18,676 from ATMs, and transferred £50,300 to her own account.

Harwood was arrested on suspicion of fraud in February 2019. She later claimed she had been giving money to another woman from the victim’s account.

She was charged with fraud by abuse of position, and two counts of fraud by false representation – opening a Next account and Debenhams account in the victim’s name.

Harwood appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, September 25 where she pleaded guilty to the charges.

She was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

“In being granted power of attorney, the defendant was expected to safeguard the financial interests of the victim, not use the position for her own gain,” PS Wheeler said.

“I have no doubt that this criminal behaviour would have continued if the victim’s friend had not become suspicious that something wasn’t right.

“We hope this sentence goes to show that committing fraud of this nature will not be tolerated.”

News

150 years of Mothers’ Union marked at St Davids Cathedral

Published

37 minutes ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SPECIAL service has been held at St Davids Cathedral to celebrate 150 years of the Mothers’ Union.

Members and officials gathered for the anniversary celebration on Sunday (Jun 21), where Bishop Dorrien welcomed those attending and spent time speaking with the Provincial Chaplain.

The occasion had particular significance for Bishop Dorrien, who is the third generation of his family to be a member of the Mothers’ Union.

The organisation, founded in 1876, continues to support families, communities and church life across Wales and around the world.

Those attending said the celebration was a fitting tribute to the work of generations of members, with hopes expressed for the next 150 years.

Caption:

Celebration: Members and officials gathered at St Davids Cathedral to mark 150 years of the Mothers’ Union (Pic: Diocese of St Davids).

Entertainment

Harbour Fest to bring music, food and maritime magic to Milford Waterfront

Published

1 hour ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Free family festival will celebrate Milford Haven’s seafaring history and coastal community

MILFORD WATERFRONT will burst into life on Saturday, June 27, as the first Harbour Fest sails into town for a day of music, food, family fun and maritime celebration.

The free event will run from 10:00am to 6:00pm at Mackerel Quay and across the waterfront, bringing together local traders, live entertainment, coastal organisations and independent businesses for a packed day beside the water.

Organisers say the festival will celebrate everything that makes Milford Haven special, from its seafaring history and working harbour to its growing reputation as a destination for food, shopping, culture and family days out.

Visitors will be able to browse stalls from local makers and producers, enjoy street food and live performances, and explore a Marine Zone featuring organisations involved in sea safety, marine conservation and coastal life.

The Marine Zone will include Seagrass Network Cymru / Project Seagrass, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Dyfed-Powys Police, NCI Wooltack Point, Rudders Marine Training, RNLI Milford Haven and RNLI Angle Lifeboat.

RNLI Angle Lifeboat is expected to be based on the Mackerel Stage, while the Sea Cadets will be giving rope-tying displays at Milford Haven Museum, where craft activities will also be taking place.

Live entertainment will run throughout the day, with performances from Tom & Abz, Will Scott, Ryan Bristow, Milford Haven Town Band, Kyle Kirkhouse and ShantyJacs Sea Shanties.

Businesses across the waterfront are also joining in. All Pets Vet Care will hold a family-friendly open day with a bouncy castle, treasure hunts, quizzes, craft activities and behind-the-scenes tours. Aurora Artisan Crafts will host vocal performances, Biffy’s Bar & Restaurant will feature solo acoustic music from Laurence Lewis, and Martha’s Vineyard will offer seafood street food with live music from Ryan Bristow and Steve Bartram.

At Tŷ Milford Waterfront’s outdoor plaza there will be face painting, children’s activities, pop-up artists and an afternoon DJ set, while Phoenix Bowl and Pirate Pete’s Adventure Play will have inflatables and glitter tattoos outside.

The Waterfront Gallery will host introduction to felt-making workshops with textile artist Carole Fletcher, giving participants the chance to create a woollen felt flower pin brooch or phone/glasses case. The workshops start at 10:30am, 1:00pm and 3:30pm and cost £5 per person.

A wide range of traders will also be attending, including 5th Flock Spirits Co, Cinnamon Grove Distillery, Cwm Deri Wines & Liqueurs, Ferncraft, Get Loaded, J.J. Pottery, Major Nuts, Orange Garden Design, Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, Pembrokeshire Gold, Pembrokeshire Lottery, Plumstone Welshcakes and SlateArtSJ.

With music drifting across the marina, food stalls lining the waterfront and lifeboats, sea safety teams and coastal groups adding a strong maritime flavour, Harbour Fest is expected to bring a lively summer atmosphere to one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known waterside destinations.

Organisers say the event is suitable for families, friends and visitors of all ages, with plenty to see and do throughout the day.

Photo caption: Harbour Fest will take place at Milford Waterfront on Saturday, June 27 (Pic: Milford Waterfront).

Community

Artist explores memory, community and changing rural life in new Cardigan exhibition

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW exhibition exploring memory, belonging and the changing face of rural life is opening in Cardigan.

West Wales artist Sue Dewhurst will present From the Outside Looking In at Oriel Cardi Bach, with the exhibition running from June 27 to July 30.

The collection brings together several new series of work reflecting on the people, places and traditions that shaped Dewhurst’s childhood in the 1970s.

At the heart of the exhibition are the Chapel Girls, a group of paintings focusing on women who might once have filled the chapels that dominated Welsh village life. In Dewhurst’s work, they are now seen finding new forms of belonging through shopping trips, bingo halls, dating apps, bottomless brunches and everyday rituals, while redundant chapels stand silent around them.

The exhibition also includes A Bit of a Do, a series inspired by weddings, family parties and village hall celebrations.

Among the familiar characters are the mysterious woman in her best hat who appears at every gathering, the accountant calculating buffet logistics, the retired nurse dancing barefoot long after everyone else has gone home, and Harry, a grumpy gent with a mysteriously missing fingertip that nobody dares ask about.

Dewhurst’s Ghost Town series will also feature, exploring the changing landscapes of northern mill towns and communities transformed beyond recognition. These works sit alongside expressive coastal paintings inspired by New Quay and the Ceredigion coast.

A further installation of miniature “party paintings” will be presented like treasured relics rescued from a forgotten village hall or working men’s club. Wrapped with handwritten stories and nostalgic memorabilia, the pieces invite visitors to remember people and moments that might otherwise disappear.

Sue said music also plays an important role in the exhibition.

She said: “Music is so evocative for me and can instantly transport me back to a certain point in time.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the lives we don’t usually celebrate – the women who held communities together, the odd characters who turned up at every family occasion, the places that shaped us and the memories that linger long after buildings and traditions have changed.

“This exhibition is really about looking back with affection and humour, while recognising that we are all, in one way or another, trying to find where we belong.”

Originally from Lancashire and now based near Llandysul, Dewhurst has spent more than thirty years working in the arts. She previously ran Oriel Haywire in Llandysul before its closure around eighteen months ago.

From the Outside Looking In opens at Oriel Cardi Bach, Cardigan, on June 27 and runs until July 30.

Visitors are invited to rediscover familiar faces, forgotten stories and the beauty found in ordinary lives.