IN a ceremonial occasion on Thursday (May 2), Thomas Baden Tudor, Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, inaugurated the new NHS 111 Wales service centre at Haverfordwest Ambulance Station. The event was marked by Mr. Tudor cutting the red ribbon, a task he was honoured to perform at the behest of Matthew Jones, Locality Manager of the Pembrokeshire Ambulance Service.

The NHS 111 service, which is accessible round the clock, offers urgent health advice and information about available services, including dental care and general medical guidance. This vital resource also provides support on managing illnesses and conditions and ensures continuity of care when GP offices are closed.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Tudor expressed his pride and privilege in participating in the launch, which underscores the community’s commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility. The new service centre is expected to play a pivotal role in providing prompt medical advice and support to the residents of Pembrokeshire.

The service is free and can be reached by dialling 111 from any phone, ensuring essential healthcare advice is just a call away.

A HAVERFORDWEST man ignited his own home during a prolonged confrontation with police, fueled by distress over a forced move after his mother’s death.

The ordeal unfolded on Jury Lane where Robert Ward, 56, resided in a three-bedroom council property he previously shared with his mother. Following her demise, Pembrokeshire County Council requested Ward to relocate to a smaller residence, prosecutor Georgia Donohue informed Swansea Crown Court.

The crisis escalated on October 21 when a dispute involving Ward and his sister led to a distressing 999 call by a neighbour at 4 PM, after overhearing threats of self-harm from Ward.

Upon arrival, police were met with a barricaded house. Ward, claiming to have booby-trapped the premises and armed with jerry cans and knives, refused entry, declaring his intent to end his life and warning of gas bottles placed behind the entrance.

As tensions heightened, a specialist negotiator was brought in while nearby homes were vacated and utilities to the property cut to prevent further risk. The standoff persisted into the night until police forcibly entered around 12:30 AM, finding the home ablaze.

During the confrontation, Ward hurled an unknown substance at officers, initially suspected to be an accelerant, though he later claimed it was water. Fire services extinguished the flames within 15 minutes, and Ward was apprehended in the loft of the burning structure around 1:06 AM, amid a suicide attempt. He suffered significant burns and was subsequently hospitalized.

During police interviews, Ward expressed remorse, stating his actions were driven by despair over his impending eviction. “He said he was extremely sorry for his actions and didn’t intend to harm [the officers],” Donohue relayed.

The court heard of previous convictions, including a 1983 arson charge. His counsel, Dyfed Thomas, highlighted the emotional attachment to the home and Ward’s troubled mental health, which significantly influenced his drastic actions.

Judge Geraint Walters recognized the “complex background” and the mental health struggles Ward endured for years, describing the episode as not “the acts of a person in his right mind.” He emphasized the need for substantial support post-release to prevent future incidents.

Ward was sentenced to three years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to arson recklessly endangering life, affray, and two counts of assaulting emergency workers. The incident, leaving behind £4,819.15 in damages, raises poignant questions about mental health support and housing policies for the vulnerable.

THIS week in the Senedd, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have urged the First Minister to return the £200,000 donation he received from a company linked to environmental crimes.

Speaking to the Senedd on Wednesday, party leader Jane Dodds MS urged FM Vaughan Gething to return money donated to his campaign by Dauson Environmental, a refuse and recycling business owned by David John Neal.

Mr Neal received a 3-month suspended prison sentence in 2013 for illegally dumping waste at a conservation site on the Gwent levels.

His companies Atlantic Recycling and Neal Soil Suppliers were also prosecuted and given fines and costs of £202,000.

Then in 2017, Mr Neal was given another suspended sentence of 18 weeks, with fines and costs of £230,000 after failing to remove the waste.

The Welsh Lib Dems have called on the FM to return the donation, as part of wider calls for a shift away from the influence of “big money” in Welsh politics.

Commenting, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:

“This entire episode has casted a dark shadow upon Welsh democracy and has rightfully led to many questioning the integrity of Vaughan Gething’s leadership campaign and the way our democracy works here in Wales.

Unfortunately for many of us this is hardly surprising, as our political system has been broken for quite some time now.

A system that empowers the elite donor class whilst simultaneously shutting out the voice of the voter is a perversion of democracy itself.

This is why our wider goal must be to remove the influence of ‘big money’ from Welsh politics once and for all.

We cannot have another government that prioritises the interests of its financial benefactors over those of the Welsh people.

We need to take a firm stance in rooting out the influence of cash in Welsh politics, for the sake of our communities we must start prioritising their interests and needs instead of having more self-serving politicians.”