News

New school ‘miraculous achievement’ says Princess Royal at official opening

Published

3 years ago

October 15, 2022

THE PRINCSS ROYAL flew into Pembrokeshire by royal helicopter on Friday (Oct14), to visit Havard Stables in Dinas Cross first thing in the morning, to officially open Haverfordwest High School in the middle of the day, and then it was off to the World Rowing Coastal Championships Beach Sprints in Saundersfoot.

The Herald was at the school for the visit.

Accompanied by headteacher Jane Harries, Princess Anne met the Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire County Council Will Bramble, Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language Cllr Guy Woodham and other dignitaries before taking a look around the school, including visiting the sixth form area where Her Royal Highness spent time talking with pupils, including taking time to chat with head boy Niall Griffiths and head girls Lucy Ashton and Aimee Pettit.

She was then shown round the new school visiting classrooms, the library, the sixth form super room.

In a service in the main hall, Her Royal Highness was treated to fantastic music performed by the school choir. Speeches were made, and after unveiling the plaque to a round of applause, she was presented with a painting by art teacher Chris Prosser.

Hearing how the project was delivered ahead of schedule and on budget during the Covid-19 pandemic, a ‘miraculous achievement’ is how Her Royal Highness Princess Anne described Haverfordwest High VC as she closed the proceedings in the hall.

Princess Anne added: “To get it right for everybody in a school of this size hovers on the miraculous,”

“I hope everyone will be pleased with the extraordinary facilities you have here and make the best possible use of them. I am so delighted today to join you in celebrating its opening.”

Later at the second official opening of the day, this time the sports hall Cllr Paul Miller, Member for Development said: “We are really serious about the future of sport in our county and this is an exciting time for everyone”

“The school should be very proud for organising such a wonderful event, which went like clockwork, and the children were fantastic.”

Following the tour, the opening ceremony took place in the hall, where The Princess Royal was formally welcomed by Councillor Guy Woodham, Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language.
Cllr Woodham said: “We are indebted to so many people for their part in creating such a wonderful and inspiring school. I know we are all incredibly proud of what has been achieved.

“With its outstanding facilities together with the unrivalled dedication, care and encouragement of its teachers and school staff, Haverfordwest High VC School provides an inspirational environment where pupils can achieve excellence together.”

The school choir then gave a wonderful performance of Singabahambayo Thina, before Chair of Governors Paul Lucas gave the vote of thanks.

“Ma’am, we take this opportunity to offer you and the Royal Family our sincere condolences following the loss of our former sovereign Queen Elizabeth, and thank you for formally opening this wonderful school and leisure complex,” he said.

The ceremony concluded with the presentation of gifts by former head prefects Caitlin Arran, Isla Davies and Anna Long. The gifts comprised a commissioned painting by Art Teacher Christopher Prosser of Watwick Bay in Pembrokeshire – the location was chosen as Her Royal Highness visited the beach with her family as a child – and a book of condolence from the pupils and staff following the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Following the visit, Headteacher Mrs Harries said the whole school had been delighted to welcome The Princess Royal.

“It was an honour and privilege to welcome Her Royal Highness and to show her our fantastic facilities that will provide educational excellence for generations to come,” she said.

“We have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and interest from our pupils, and we are so very proud of them today. Their pride in their work and the school is exceptional.

“The pupils were offered the opportunity to be part of the ceremony in the hall and provided thought-provoking reasons that clearly demonstrated how much it meant to them that a member of the Royal family was performing the ceremony.”

The Princess Royal then concluded her guided tour with a visit to the school’s sports provision, known as the Pembrokeshire Sports Village, and officially opened the facilities.

Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader for Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “‘As you can see, the facilities are outstanding – from this fantastic eight-court sports hall, to the wonderful 3G rugby pitch, Strength Academy Wales, and much more.

“We’re serious about the future of sport in our county and we’re investing in it. It’s a genuinely exciting time and I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say how delighted I am to see the culmination of such an ambitious project.’

Haverfordwest High VC School provides educational and sports facilities for 1500 pupils aged 11-16 and 250 sixth form students. Jointly funded by Pembrokeshire County Council and Welsh Government under its Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, the school was completed ahead of schedule in August 2022 despite the challenges of Covid and Brexit. The project management team were from the County Council and the contractors were Morgan Sindall Construction.

The Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said: “I would like to congratulate all involved in the opening of the new Haverfordwest High School. I am delighted that through our Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme we have not only been able to provide an inspiring learning environment for children and young people in the area, but also exceptional sports and outdoor facilities which will benefit the whole community.”

Rob Williams, area director of Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “We are incredibly proud to have played a role in the delivery of Haverfordwest High VC School and would like to extend our thanks to The Princess Royal for adding a real sense of occasion to the official opening.

“This school will make a real impact on the lives of local people with first-class sports facilities and will provide an enhanced learning environment for pupils to be inspired for generations to come. It is a key contribution to the Welsh Government’s important 21st Century School programme and one which we are very enthusiastic to collaborate on.”

Crime

Swansea man dies weeks after release from troubled HMP Parc: Investigation launched

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man has died just weeks after being released from HMP Parc, the Bridgend prison now at the centre of a national crisis over inmate deaths and post-release failures.

Darren Thomas, aged 52, died on 13 November 2025 — less than a month after leaving custody. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has confirmed an independent investigation into his death, which is currently listed as “in progress”.

Born on 9 April 1973, Mr Thomas had been under post-release supervision following a period at HMP/YOI Parc, the G4S-run prison that recorded seventeen deaths in custody in 2024 — the highest in the UK.

His last known legal appearance was at Swansea Crown Court in October 2024, where he stood trial accused of making a threatening phone call and two counts of criminal damage. During the hearing, reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald at the time, the court heard he made threats during a heated call on 5 October 2023.

Mr Thomas denied the allegations but was found guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to a custodial term, which led to his imprisonment at HMP Parc.

Parc: A prison in breakdown

HMP Parc has faced sustained criticism throughout 2024 and 2025. A damning unannounced inspection in January found:

Severe self-harm incidents up 190%
Violence against staff up 109%
Synthetic drugs “easily accessible” across wings
Overcrowding at 108% capacity

In the first three months of 2024 alone, ten men died at Parc — part of a wider cluster of twenty PPO-investigated deaths since 2022. Six occurred within three weeks, all linked to synthetic drug use.

Leaked staff messages in 2025 exposed a culture of indifference, including one officer writing: “Let’s push him to go tomorrow so we can drop him.”

Six G4S employees have been arrested since 2023 in connection with alleged assaults and misconduct.

The danger after release

Deaths shortly after release from custody are a growing national concern. Ministry of Justice data shows 620 people died while under community supervision in 2024–2025, with 62 deaths occurring within 14 days of release.

Short sentences — common at Parc — leave little time for effective rehabilitation or release planning. Homelessness, loss of drug tolerance and untreated mental-health conditions create a high-risk environment for those newly released.

The PPO investigates all such deaths to determine whether prisons or probation failed in their duties. Reports often take 6–12 months and can lead to recommendations.

A system at breaking point

The crisis at Parc reflects wider failures across UK prisons and probation. A July 2025 House of Lords report described the service as “not fit for purpose”. More than 500 people die in custody annually, with campaigners warning that private prisons such as Parc prioritise cost-cutting over care.

The PPO investigation into the death of Darren Thomas continues.

Crime

Woman stabbed partner in Haverfordwest before handing herself in

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Court Reporter

A WOMAN who stabbed her partner during a drug-fuelled episode walked straight into Haverfordwest Police Station and told officers what she had done, Swansea Crown Court has heard.

Amy Woolston, 22, of Dartmouth Street in Milford Haven, arrived at the station at around 8:00pm on June 13 and said: “I stabbed my ex-partner earlier… he’s alright and he let me walk off,” prosecutor Tom Scapens told the court.

The pair had taken acid together earlier in the day, and Woolston claimed she believed she could feel “stab marks in her back” before the incident.

Police find victim with four wounds

Officers went to the victim’s home to check on him. He was not there at first, but returned shortly afterwards. He appeared sober and told police: “Just a couple of things,” before pointing to injuries on his back.

He had three stab or puncture wounds to his back and another to his bicep.

The victim said that when he arrived home from the shop, Woolston was acting “a bit shifty”. After asking if she was alright, she grabbed something from the windowsill — described as either a knife or a shard of glass — and stabbed him.

He told officers he had “had worse from her before”, did not support a prosecution, and refused to go to hospital.

Defendant has long history of violence

Woolston pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. The court heard she had amassed 20 previous convictions from 10 court appearances, including assaults, battery, and offences against emergency workers.

Defending, Dyfed Thomas said Woolston had longstanding mental health problems and had been off medication prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia at the time.
“She’s had a difficult upbringing,” he added, saying she was remorseful and now compliant with treatment.

Woolston was jailed for 12 months, but the court heard she has already served the equivalent time on remand and will be released imminently on a 12-month licence.

News

BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

Published

5 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Staff Writer

THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old.