News

HMP Parc under intense scrutiny over deaths, escalating violence and drug abuse

Published

2 years ago

August 30, 2024

HMP Parc, one of the UK’s largest category B prisons, has found itself at the centre of a growing scandal as it struggles to contain an escalating crisis marked by rampant violence, drug abuse, and a disturbing number of inmate deaths. The prison, managed by the private security firm G4S, has come under intense scrutiny as the situation within its walls continues to deteriorate, leading to widespread concern among authorities, families, and the public.

In recent months, HMP Parc has been the site of several brutal assaults that have raised alarm about the safety and security within the prison. In one particularly harrowing incident, a 42-year-old inmate was severely beaten in his cell, leaving him with disfiguring injuries that his family described as making him look “like the Elephant Man.”

The recent assault, involved three other inmates who reportedly attacked the man using a tuna tin wrapped in a sock and pool cues. The victim sustained serious injuries, including a lip that required extensive stitching, and a shoeprint bruise across his face.

According to the inmate’s family, the attack was motivated by postcode rivalries and the victim’s “reputation” within the prison. The family alleged that the attackers, younger inmates from Cardiff, targeted the victim, who is from Aberdare, to make an example of him. The man, who was due for release in two weeks, had been trying to keep a low profile to avoid conflict, but his efforts were tragically unsuccessful.

G4S, while acknowledging the incident, disputed the severity of the family’s claims. A spokesperson stated that the inmate’s injuries were minor and that no weapons were involved. The inmate was treated at A&E and returned to his cell within hours. However, this response has done little to allay concerns about the level of violence that has become commonplace at HMP Parc.

The violence at HMP Parc is only one aspect of the broader crisis engulfing the prison. Since February 2024, ten inmates have died under circumstances that have yet to be fully explained, although many of the deaths are suspected to be drug-related. This spate of deaths has prompted multiple investigations and has drawn national attention to the conditions within the prison.

The use of synthetic opioids, particularly “spice” laced with fentanyl, is believed to be a significant factor in the fatalities. These drugs, which mimic the effects of cannabis but are far more dangerous, have been smuggled into the prison and have contributed to overdoses among inmates. The presence of these substances has created a perilous environment, exacerbating tensions and leading to a series of near-fatal incidents.

The alarming number of deaths led to the replacement of HMP Parc’s director, Heather Whitehead, in June 2024. Whitehead had only been in her role since August 2023, but the mounting pressure from the ongoing crisis necessitated a change in leadership. Will Styles, a seasoned veteran of the prison service, was appointed as the new director to address the myriad challenges facing the institution.

The situation at HMP Parc took another dark turn with the arrest and subsequent conviction of Jodie Beer, a 30-year-old prison officer, for smuggling drugs into the prison. Beer, who was caught in February 2022, had been offered £5,000 by an inmate to bring contraband into the facility. The smuggled items included Class A drugs such as cocaine, as well as cannabis, buprenorphine, mobile phones, and SIM cards, all concealed in orange juice cartons.

Beer was arrested in the prison car park after officers searched her vehicle and discovered the contraband. During her trial in June 2024, Beer pleaded guilty to several charges, including possession with intent to supply drugs and misconduct in public office. Her defence cited mental instability and drug addiction as factors contributing to her criminal actions. She was jailed for six years.

Sarah Ingram from the Crown Prosecution Service told The Herald: “What Beer did in arranging to take large amounts of controlled drugs into the prison where she worked was a gross breach of trust. The drugs had been prepped to take into the prison and were clearly for onward supply. As a prison officer she was in a position of responsibility and her behaviour fell far below the standards that are expected.”

The arrest of Beer has highlighted the broader issues of corruption and misconduct within HMP Parc, further complicating efforts to restore order and safety in the facility. The Regional Organised Crime Unit for South Wales, which handled the investigation, has emphasised that the actions of individuals like Beer should not overshadow the dedication and integrity of the majority of prison staff who adhere to the highest standards of conduct.

Rioting broke out at Parc prison in South Wales last week, just days after it was announced that a tenth prisoner had died at the jail in a three-month period.

G4S, the company which runs the troubled jail, said that around 20 prisoners had been involved in a disturbance on Friday, May 31. We reported at the time that a ‘Tornado Team’ – the Prison Service riot squad – was sent in to quell the disorder, and that prisoners had been hurt but their injuries were not life-threatening. An air ambulance reportedly attended before being stood down.

A second, separate incident on the same day was said by G4S to be unrelated, involving “an altercation between three prisoners who required hospital treatment”. No staff were injured in either incident. Prisoners’ families and inside sources had described the unrest as a riot.

On May 29, G4S announced that the tenth prisoner to die at Parc since February was 38-year-old Warren Manners. South Wales Police said his sudden death was not considered to be suspicious.

Bereaved family members protested outside the prison. Among them was Frances Jones, whose nephew Mikey, 19, took his own life at Parc in May after struggling with addiction and having been recently recalled. She said: “Where were prison guards? He was on suicide watch. Why was he was allowed to die? Mikey came in to do his time after doing his crime, and came out in a black bag. That is wrong. He’s been let down, and so have the others who have passed here.”

She and the other protestors called for G4S to be stripped of its contract to run the prison. She said: “We want G4S out. We want the Government to come in and take back control. At least we’ll know that people will have the protection they deserve.” South Wales Police has confirmed that four of the initial six deaths at Parc involved Nitazenes, synthetic opioids up to 500 times more potent than heroin.

Former prison governor Ian Acheson posted on social media that the situation at Parc was a “story of failings”. Pointing out that a 2022 report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons had flagged up concerns about increasing availability of drugs, he said: “The Government have ultimate responsibility, so should insist G4S beef up their operation with experienced staff under the threat of losing the contract without compensation”.

Questioned about the situation at Parc in the House of Commons in May, Prisons Minister Edward Argar acknowledged there were challenges around security and recruiting experienced staff but rejected calls for the Government to take over from G4S, saying the prison is “well-run”.

In response to the families’ protest but prior to the latest fatality and the riot, a G4S spokesperson said: “We extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of those who died recently at Parc. Safety of staff and prisoners is our priority.

“All mental health support is based on an assessment and operates in the same way as in the community. In line with national policy, prisoners at risk of self-harm or suicide are managed by a multi-disciplinary team and have a tailored support plan.”

The ongoing crisis at HMP Parc has prompted widespread calls for reform, with many questioning the effectiveness of the private management of such a critical public institution. The series of deaths, coupled with the rising violence and incidents of corruption, have raised serious concerns about the prison’s ability to maintain order and ensure the safety of its inmates.

Families of the victims and the wider public are demanding accountability and a thorough investigation into the conditions at HMP Parc. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched multiple inquiries into the recent deaths, and there are growing calls for more stringent oversight and possibly even a government takeover of the prison’s management.

HMP Parc is currently facing one of the most challenging periods in its history, with issues ranging from brutal inmate violence and drug abuse to corruption among its staff and a disturbing number of unexplained deaths. The replacement of the prison’s leadership, the arrest of a corrupt officer, and ongoing investigations are steps towards addressing these problems, but the road to restoring safety and stability at HMP Parc is likely to be long and difficult.

News

Labour wiped out in Ceredigion Penfro as Plaid tops poll and First Minister loses seat

Published

2 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Shock result sends political shockwaves across Wales as Reform also surges in historic Senedd count

LABOUR suffered one of the worst defeats in its Welsh political history on Friday (May 8) after First Minister Eluned Morgan failed to win a seat in the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency.

The dramatic result, announced following a tense count in Aberystwyth, saw Plaid Cymru emerge as the dominant force in west Wales, while Reform UK surged into second place and Labour was left without representation.

Under the new six-member proportional voting system introduced for the 2026 Senedd election, the seats were allocated as follows:

Plaid Cymru — three seats
Reform UK — two seats
Welsh Conservatives — one seat
Labour — no seats

The elected Members of the Senedd for Ceredigion Penfro are:

Elin Jones (Plaid Cymru)
Kerry Ferguson (Plaid Cymru)
Anna Nicholl (Plaid Cymru)
Susan Claire Archibald (Reform UK)
Paul Marr (Reform UK)
Paul Windsor Davies (Welsh Conservatives)

The result marks a devastating blow for Labour, which has governed Wales continuously since devolution began in 1999. The party’s top candidate in the constituency was sitting First Minister Eluned Morgan, but Labour’s vote collapsed across both Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

Plaid Cymru topped the poll with 31,943 votes, comfortably ahead of Reform UK on 23,003.

The Conservatives secured 14,789 votes and held on to representation through former Preseli Pembrokeshire MS Paul Davies.

Labour trailed badly on just 6,495 votes.

The full vote breakdown was:

Plaid Cymru — 31,943
Reform UK — 23,003
Welsh Conservatives — 14,789
Welsh Labour — 6,495
Wales Green Party — 6,324
Welsh Liberal Democrats — 4,613
Gwlad — 802
Heritage Party — 442
Aaron Carey (Independent) — 368
George Alexander Chadzy (Independent) — 286
Paul Haywood Dowson (Independent) — 88

A total of 89,402 votes were cast, with 247 rejected ballots.

Turnout was confirmed at around 57%, significantly higher than many analysts had predicted for the first election held under the new expanded Senedd system.

The result had been widely anticipated as one of the key battlegrounds of the election, with journalists from across Wales and national broadcasters gathering at the count amid growing speculation that the First Minister could lose her seat.

As counting progressed through the afternoon, it became increasingly clear Labour was heading for disaster in the constituency, with Plaid performing strongly in Ceredigion while Reform UK made major gains across Pembrokeshire.

The new Ceredigion Penfro “super constituency” combines the whole of Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion under the new 96-member Senedd system, replacing the previous Westminster-style constituencies.

The result is likely to intensify questions over Labour’s future direction in Wales and represents a major breakthrough for Reform UK in west Wales politics.

Plaid Cymru supporters celebrated loudly as the declaration was read out, while Labour activists left the hall visibly stunned.

The defeat of a sitting First Minister in her own electoral region is expected to send shockwaves through Welsh politics for days to come.

News

Labour deputy says party ‘will not form next Welsh Government’

Published

7 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Tom Sinclair

LABOUR FACES HISTORIC DEFEAT AS COUNTING CONTINUES ACROSS WALES

LABOUR’S Deputy Leader in Wales has effectively conceded the Senedd election, saying the party will “not form the next government” as counting continued across the country.

Huw Irranca-Davies, Eluned Morgan’s Deputy First Minister and Rural Affairs Minister, made the candid admission on BBC Wales on Friday (May 8), in what will be seen as one of the most dramatic moments in modern Welsh political history.

He said the result was “not the end” for Welsh Labour, but accepted that the party now faced a major period of reflection over what went wrong, why its campaign failed to cut through, and how it had lost the confidence of so many Welsh voters.

Mr Irranca-Davies also said it appeared “likely” that Eluned Morgan would not return to the Senedd as a member for the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency.

If confirmed, that result would be a devastating blow for Labour and would leave the party without its First Minister in the new Welsh Parliament.

Labour MSs are expected to meet on Saturday to discuss their changed position and decide their next steps as a group.

Mr Irranca-Davies avoided a direct answer when asked whether he would seek to lead Labour in the Senedd if Baroness Morgan loses her seat.

He is widely regarded as a possible contender for the post of Presiding Officer if Labour’s final results are as poor as early indications suggest.

Counting began on Friday morning after voters went to the polls on Thursday (May 7) in the first Senedd election held under the new electoral system.

The old arrangement of constituency MSs and regional list members has been replaced by sixteen larger “super constituencies”, each electing six members.

The system uses the d’Hondt formula, which allocates seats proportionally according to party vote totals.

Once all votes are counted, each party’s total is divided by the number of seats it has already won, plus one. The highest remaining total wins the next seat, and the calculation is repeated until all six seats are filled.

The process has drawn criticism from some voters and commentators, who say it is difficult to understand.

Former Labour minister Harriet Harman also criticised the Welsh voting system this week, describing it as overly complicated.

However, the method was first chosen by Tony Blair’s Labour Government ahead of the first Senedd election in 1999. Welsh Labour also rejected alternatives, including the Single Transferable Vote, when the new system was designed.

Critics of the reforms say the counting method itself has received too much attention, while the more serious change has been the creation of vast multi-member constituencies, which have weakened the direct link between voters and individual elected representatives.

Labour has dominated Welsh politics for more than a century.

At every General Election since 1922, Labour has been the largest party in Wales in terms of seats won. Since devolution began in 1999, it has also been the largest party in the Senedd and has led every Welsh Government.

As recently as June 2024, Labour won 27 of Wales’s 32 Westminster seats.

But that record appeared to count for little as voters went to the polls this week, with early briefings suggesting Labour had suffered serious damage in both its traditional heartlands and in West Wales.

As polls closed on Thursday night, Labour figures were already briefing broadcasters about the scale of the reverse.

One report suggested the party’s performance in the South Wales Valleys had been disastrous, while the BBC later reported that a senior Labour source had described results in West Wales as “bloody” and “challenging”.

At this stage, however, the full picture remains unclear.

It is also possible that Labour figures have deliberately played down expectations, in the hope of presenting anything short of total collapse as a better result than feared.

If the opinion polls and early indications prove accurate, Plaid Cymru and Reform UK could emerge as the largest forces in the next Welsh Parliament.

Such a result would represent a political earthquake in Wales and could bring an end to Labour’s unbroken control of devolved government.

MORE TO FOLLOW

News

Counts underway in historic Senedd election

Published

8 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Wales waits for results as first election under new voting system reaches count stage

COUNTING is underway across Wales today as voters await the results of one of the most important Senedd elections since devolution.

Ballot boxes were opened this morning after polling stations closed at 10:00pm on Thursday (May 7), with all 16 new Senedd constituencies now counting votes under a completely changed electoral system.

For the first time, Wales is electing 96 Members of the Senedd, up from 60, with six MSs to be returned in each constituency.

Voters had one ballot paper and one vote, choosing a party or independent candidate rather than voting for an individual constituency candidate and a regional list, as happened under the previous system.

Seats will be allocated using the D’Hondt method, meaning the final results in each area may depend on narrow margins between parties.

The new system has also created new political battlegrounds, including Ceredigion Penfro, which brings together large parts of Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

Locally, attention will be on how Labour, Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives, Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats, Greens and independents perform in what has been one of the most unpredictable elections in recent Welsh history.

The election comes at a critical moment for Welsh politics, with Labour seeking to retain its long-standing dominance in Cardiff Bay, Plaid Cymru hoping to make major gains, Reform UK looking to break through, and the Conservatives fighting to hold ground after a difficult period nationally.

Because each constituency elects six members, the count is not simply a case of declaring one winner. Officials must calculate how many seats each party has won, and then allocate those seats to candidates in the order they appear on party lists.

That means list position is crucial. If a party wins one seat, its first-placed candidate is elected. If it wins two, the first two names on its list are returned.

Results are expected throughout Friday, although close contests and possible recounts could delay some declarations.

The outcome will determine not only who represents Wales in the next Senedd, but also who is best placed to form the next Welsh Government.