Fuel imports spared as US tries to avoid price hikes

THE VALERO oil refinery on the Milford Haven estuary has been spared from Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariff measures, after the White House confirmed that imports of oil, gas and refined products will be exempt from the former president’s aggressive trade war strategy.

Trump announced on Wednesday that he would impose a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the United States, with higher duties on key trading partners including the UK and the EU. However, a White House official told Reuters that energy imports from all countries would be excluded, in a move designed to protect the American fuel supply chain from rising costs and shortages.

Europe key to US fuel supply

The exemption will be welcomed by the US oil industry, which had expressed concerns that tariffs on fuel could disrupt flows and raise prices at the pump. Europe, including the UK, remains a significant source of refined fuel imports to the US East Coast, where refinery capacity is limited.

Valero’s Pembroke refinery is one of the largest in Western Europe, producing diesel, petrol, jet fuel and other refined products for global export—including regular shipments to the United States.

A source in the energy sector told The Herald: “The US East Coast depends on European fuel, especially diesel and jet fuel. Without these exemptions, the system would seize up—so this isn’t a favour, it’s self-preservation.”

American ownership adds weight

Valero Energy Corporation, which owns the Pembroke site, is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. As one of the largest independent refiners in the United States, the company plays a strategic role in both domestic and global fuel markets.

While the exemption applies to all energy imports, regardless of origin, Valero’s American ownership and footprint on both sides of the Atlantic may have helped streamline protections for its supply routes, including those operating out of Wales.

Good news for Pembrokeshire jobs

The exemption is a relief for workers at the Pembroke refinery and for local businesses tied to the fuel supply chain. While other sectors across Wales—like agriculture and steel—now face serious trade uncertainty, the energy industry has been handed a temporary reprieve.

A local business owner in Pembroke Dock told The Herald: “This is brilliant news for the area. Valero keeps a lot of people in work around here, and the last thing we needed was more uncertainty from across the Atlantic.”

Wider Welsh economy still at risk

Despite the fuel sector being spared, the broader picture for Welsh exporters remains bleak. UK lamb, whisky, car parts, and steel products are now exposed to new US tariffs, which could limit market access and raise prices for American buyers.

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick has warned of a “destructive trade war” and called for Britain to work with allies like Canada and Australia to stand up to US pressure.

Long-term concerns remain

Although Valero and other energy exporters are safe for now, analysts warn that Trump’s volatile trade strategy creates long-term uncertainty.

“The US energy exemption is based on short-term supply needs,” the industry source added. “If that changes—or if politics takes over—you could see exemptions reversed or narrowed. Wales needs to stay alert.”

One refinery worker summed it up: “We’ve dodged this bullet, but with Trump, the safety off switch never stays on for long.”

Staff mocked suicide and bragged about assaults as G4S failed to intervene

A CULTURE of violence, cruelty and neglect flourished unchecked at HMP Parc — which houses many prisoners from Pembrokeshire — while prison leadership appeared to look the other way, a cache of leaked messages obtained by The Herald suggests.

The explosive text and social media messages — exchanged between serving and former officers at the privately-run Bridgend jail — reveal not only a disturbing level of misconduct among some frontline staff, but a prison seemingly adrift, without effective oversight or internal accountability.

Officers joked about suicide attempts, bragged about violent assaults, and casually described provoking vulnerable inmates into confrontation — all in the open, with no reference to line managers, disciplinary consequences, or intervention from senior staff.

In one message, an officer writes: “Let’s push him to go tomorrow so we can drop him.” Another adds: “They smashed him into the shower lol,” with a colleague replying: “Good! I hope they hurt him too.”

In a separate conversation, a prisoner who had slit his wrists is described as “daft” and someone who should be sent “to a f lonnie bin.” One officer joked: “He’ll tie a bag around his neck,” followed by: “Too much paperwork,” and “Don’t have to do paperwork if you pretend not to see it.”

No fear of consequences

The messages, some of which were shared on social media last summer, contain no suggestion that those involved feared being caught or disciplined. In fact, the tone throughout is brazen, boastful and often gleeful — pointing to what campaigners now describe as a complete failure of leadership inside the prison.

“There’s no mention of superiors, no sense that anyone was trying to stop this,” one prison reform advocate told The Herald. “That tells you everything you need to know about the culture at the top.”

The Herald was the first to report on the leaked messages, which have since been seen by national media including the BBC, PA and The Independent. Their contents have now become part of an ongoing criminal investigation by South Wales Police.

Ten officers arrested — but no managers held accountable

Since September 2024, ten officers at HMP Parc have been arrested on suspicion of assault and misconduct in public office.

Four arrests were made on 20 September 2024, but all four individuals were later released without charge. In January 2025, six more officers were detained, with five bailed until the end of April and one released under investigation.

South Wales Police told The Herald: “The investigation remains ongoing, and officers are continuing to work closely with G4S.”

Despite the scale of the investigation, no senior managers or governors at the prison have been suspended, dismissed, or formally investigated. G4S has confirmed that three of the officers arrested in the first phase have been dismissed, and a fourth remains suspended pending disciplinary action.

Campaigners say that is not enough.

“If this level of abuse was happening openly among officers, leadership either knew and did nothing, or they were completely unaware of the day-to-day culture inside their own prison,” one former prison inspector said. “Either way, it’s a failure.”

Seventeen deaths in one year

The crisis at Parc has unfolded against a grim backdrop: seventeen inmates died in the prison during 2024, making it the deadliest prison in the UK that year.

In a letter to the House of Lords’ Justice and Home Affairs Committee in October, Prisons Minister James Timpson confirmed that the Ministry of Justice’s anti-corruption unit is actively investigating the facility.

In December, MPs were told that organised criminal gangs were smuggling drugs and weapons into Parc via children’s nappies and industrial drones. A riot in 2023 led to the replacement of the prison’s director by mutual agreement, with new leadership installed — but problems appear to have persisted.

“Catastrophic safeguarding failure”

In March 2025, The Herald reported on a separate police investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a vulnerable young inmate on X1 Wing. The victim, aged 18–19, was reportedly scalded with boiling water and forced to perform a sexual act at knifepoint by a known high-risk offender.

Campaigners questioned how the attacker — flagged in his OASys risk assessment as dangerous and premeditated — was allowed to share a cell with a vulnerable young prisoner.

Zack Griffiths, of the HMP Prisons Justice Group, said: “A vulnerable young person was left exposed to a violent, dangerous offender, and the consequences have been devastating. This isn’t just an individual crime — it’s a catastrophic failure of the prison system to safeguard those in its care.”

G4S response and silence from above

In a statement, a spokesperson for G4S said: “We are absolutely committed to rooting out any wrongdoing. Of the four individuals who were arrested and released without charge by South Wales Police, three have been dismissed from the company and one remains suspended pending the outcome of a disciplinary process.
Our staff are expected to treat everyone with dignity and respect and we have a zero-tolerance approach to dealing with any staff behaviour that falls short of our standards. The vast majority of our staff are hardworking and honest.”

The Prison Reform Trust declined to provide an on-the-record statement, but confirmed they have been hearing concerns from prisoners at HMP Parc and offered to speak off the record about broader issues within the prison system.

Calls grow for independent inquiry

With police investigations continuing, no charges brought, and no senior leadership held publicly accountable, calls are growing for a fully independent public inquiry into how HMP Parc has been run — and how such a corrosive environment was allowed to take hold.

“This isn’t just about a few bad officers,” one whistleblower said. “This is a broken culture, and it starts at the top.”

Parc, the largest prison in Wales, remains one of the few in the UK run by a private contractor. For families of those who died behind its walls, and for the growing number of victims still inside, answers cannot come soon enough.

ONLY 3% of arson cases investigated by Dyfed-Powys Police in the past three years have led to charges, sparking serious concerns about the force’s ability to bring offenders to justice.

Data obtained by Legal Expert shows that of the 558 arson offences recorded across the Dyfed-Powys area since 2021, just 18 resulted in someone being charged. Despite 56 arrests being made, the vast majority of cases were closed without prosecution, while many others remain unresolved.

Llanelli worst-hit by arson

The town of Llanelli recorded the highest number of arson incidents in the region, with 105 offences logged over three years. Ammanford followed with 69, Pembrokeshire South with 60, Brecknockshire with 57, and Montgomeryshire with 41.

Cardigan was the quietest area, with just 15 recorded arson cases.

Low charge rates seen across UK

The figures from Dyfed-Powys mirror a wider national issue. A survey of 31 UK police forces found that fewer than 5% of arson investigations resulted in a charge. In Essex, only two people were charged despite more than 3,000 arson reports.

Home Office statistics published in January show that in the year to September 2024, only 4.4% of criminal damage and arson offences led to a charge or summons—up only slightly from 4.1% the previous year. Around 70% of arson investigations were closed without identifying a suspect.

Teenagers among suspects

Of the 56 arson suspects identified by Dyfed-Powys Police, 11 were under the age of 18. This included three 12-year-olds and four aged 13 or 14. The most common age group was people in their 30s (16 suspects), with only nine in their 20s. Men accounted for 73% of the suspects—slightly below the UK average of 80%.

Dyfed-Powys was also the only force in the country to report zero repeat arson offenders during the three-year period.

Victims left without compensation

Alongside low prosecution rates, victims of arson are also struggling to receive compensation. Of 464 claims made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), just 76 resulted in a payout.

In 2024, only 17 people across the UK received compensation for injuries sustained in arson attacks. Common reasons for claims being rejected included the offence not being classed as violent, or the injuries not meeting CICA’s compensation threshold.

The total payout to arson victims over the three years was £102,260, with an average payment of £1,345. So far in 2024, just £2,400 has been awarded, despite 79 claims being submitted. Nearly 200 victims are still waiting for a decision.

Legal expert urges victims to seek help

Ellie Lamey, a criminal injury specialist at Legal Expert, said many victims may not realise they are entitled to compensation even if no one is convicted.

“It’s incredible that so few people have made a claim when thousands of arson offences have affected lives around the country,” she said. “Victims might be wondering how to get some form of justice.

“They don’t need to wait for a conviction to seek compensation. As long as they report the crime and cooperate with police, they may be eligible to apply.”

Legal Expert provides round-the-clock advice on CICA claims and support for those affected by violent crime.

Police defend response—comments seen as downplaying scale of issue

Detective Chief Superintendent Ross Evans of Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Dyfed-Powys Police is committed to following up all crimes including arson-related offences together with our partner agencies.

“While the article matches our own data, it doesn’t include a breakdown of the level of risk to life, which gives a bit more context. In the past three years, nearly 85% of arson incidents reported did not pose a danger to life.

“We see more damage-related offences than actual attacks on people or property, and due to the nature of some of these incidents—such as bin fires, small grass fires and litter fires—they can be difficult to detect.

“Of the 15% which did pose a risk to life, a charge rate of 17% was achieved.

“When arson incidents occur, police investigate to identify and bring any offenders to justice. We encourage members of the public to report any offences to us via 101, through our website, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

However, some of the comments made by police have been seen as attempting to downplay the scale of the problem—particularly when the overwhelming majority of arson offences go unpunished, and victims are left without justice or compensation.

Cover picture:

Park Church when it went up in flames in 2015 (Image: Gayle Marsh)