Family bingo night to support Pembroke Borough Under-14s
Man accused of posing as Royal Navy admiral at Remembrance event
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Family bingo night to support Pembroke Borough Under-14s
Man accused of posing as Royal Navy admiral at Remembrance event
Calls to end ‘national disgrace’ of veteran homelessness
Could Pembrokeshire Castlemartin camp be used for asylum seekers?
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A FAMILY night of festive bingo will take place in Pembroke Dock next month to raise funds for Pembroke Borough’s Under-14 football squad.
The event, organised by Pembroke AFC, will be held on Thursday, 5 December, with organisers promising an evening of fun suitable for all ages. The fundraiser will take place at The Quinns Function Room on London Road, Pembroke Dock (SA72 6DT).
Doors open at 6:30pm, with the first game starting at 7:00pm.
The night will feature a full bingo programme led by a festive-themed caller, along with family-friendly prizes and refreshments. All proceeds will go directly towards supporting the Under-14 team with equipment, travel and match-day costs for the season ahead.
A spokesperson for the club said the evening will be “a great chance for the community to get together, have some fun and support the youngsters who represent Pembroke Borough every week”.
All are welcome, and organisers are encouraging local families and supporters of grassroots football to come along, enjoy the night and help make the fundraiser a success.
Man accused of posing as Royal Navy admiral at Remembrance event
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A MAN who turned up unannounced to Llandudno’s Remembrance Sunday parade wearing what appeared to be a senior Royal Navy uniform is under investigation amid claims he is an impostor.
Jonathan David Carley, aged 64, was seen marching at the front of the parade and saluting the town’s war memorial while dressed in a rear admiral’s jacket and displaying twelve medals. His appearance immediately raised suspicions among veterans and serving personnel.
The Royal Navy has since described the incident as “insulting” and confirmed that impersonating a Naval officer “could be considered a criminal offence” under the Uniforms Act 1894, which prevents anyone who has not served from wearing military uniform.
Observers at Sunday’s event noted several inconsistencies: an unlikely mix of medals including a Distinguished Service Order, an MBE, the Gulf War Medal and the Queen’s Voluntary Reserves Medal — the latter awarded only to reservists and never to someone who also holds a DSO. His shirt, collar style and oversized sleeves also appeared to breach Navy dress regulations.
A retired senior officer told national media that “it’s disgraceful”, adding that the uniform lacked essential branch badges and that the combination of medals made no sense. A serving soldier was similarly blunt, saying he did not understand why anyone would pretend to be “a mega-senior officer”.
Llandudno Town Council, which organised the service, has confirmed that Mr Carley was not invited. When approached by the parade marshal, he allegedly claimed he was representing the Lord-Lieutenant of Clwyd. The Lord-Lieutenant, Harry Fetherstonhaugh, said that this was not true and that he had “never seen him before”.
Mr Carley appears to have taken part in other Remembrance events in Caernarfon in 2018 and 2019 wearing similar attire.
Public records show Mr Carley listed only once in the London Gazette — as a 2nd Lieutenant (on probation) in the Combined Cadet Force at Cheltenham College, where he worked as a history teacher. He has previously claimed to have studied at Christ Church, Oxford, and at Harvard University, though veterans’ groups say his name does not appear on Harvard’s alumni list.
The Walter Mitty Hunters Club, which exposes military impostors, has called this “possibly the highest-ranking Walt attempt ever”.
Residents in Harlech, where Mr Carley lives, told the press he had boasted about his supposed military service, describing their shock at the allegations now emerging.
A Royal Navy spokesperson said: “Impersonating a Naval officer is insulting to anyone connected to the service and could be considered a criminal offence. Nothing should detract from the poignancy of Remembrance Sunday.”
Llandudno Town Council added that although the man had laid his wreath respectfully, the matter was now in the hands of military organisations.
Mr Carley declined to comment when approached.
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VETERAN homelessness has been labelled a “national disgrace” as the Senedd debated Conservative calls for ex-service personnel to be given priority for social housing.
James Evans warned it was unacceptable to have veterans sleeping on the streets, arguing that guaranteeing them a home should be a matter of “principle, not paperwork”.
The Tory Senedd Member said: “It is a national disgrace that men and women who wore the country’s uniform – who stood ready to risk everything for our freedoms and protections – are sleeping rough or are stuck in insecure accommodation.”
He called on the Welsh Government to require councils and social landlords to give homeless veterans the highest priority for housing.
Leading a debate on Wednesday (November 12), Mr Evans set out a five-point plan to honour veterans, arguing remembrance must be about action rather than words.
He told the Senedd: “Remembrance must never just be about looking back, it must be about looking after those who have served and those who still serve today.”
As well as priority housing, the motion called for free bus travel for all veterans, a national military museum, support for service children and permanent peer mentors in the NHS.
Mr Evans criticised amendments, accusing Plaid Cymru of seeking to replace the substance of the motion with “vague platitudes or political point scoring”.
He said: “The most unacceptable part of Plaid Cymru’s amendment is that it seeks to delete a section of our motion that recognises the significant ongoing contribution that the military makes to Wales. How disrespectful is that?”
Plaid Cymru’s Peredur Owen Griffiths warned one in five Welsh veterans could be eligible for an Armed Forces pension but are not claiming it – “often due to confusion or complexity”.
He told the Senedd: “Veterans should receive what they are owed automatically and not be left to navigate a bureaucratic maze.”
Mr Owen Griffiths said: “Too many veterans still face poverty, homelessness and poor mental and physical health – a damning indictment of successive UK Governments.
“The independent review of UK Government welfare services for veterans could not have been clearer: funding cuts have hollowed out support.
“The Trussell Trust reports that over a quarter of veterans now struggle to afford food.”
Lindsay Whittle, the newly returned Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for Caerphilly, raised his constituents’ concerns about military personnel’s access to NHS dental services.
Mr Whittle called for a service pause policy for NHS dental registration, so veterans and their families do not lose access due to a change of address. He said: “I would like to think that we are all united, despite the attacks earlier,… in supporting the veterans of this country.”
Ken Skates, who is responsible for Armed Forces policy in Wales insofar as it is devolved, described the Tory proposals as “well-intentioned asks” which presented challenges.
Responding to calls for priority housing, he pointed to the Welsh Government’s homelessness bill which is making its way through the Senedd scrutiny process.
The transport secretary said: “The bill seeks to create a person-centred homelessness system that responds to the support needs of all applicants experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including, crucially, members of the Armed Forces community.”
Mr Skates confirmed a review of the national housing pathway for ex-service personnel was under way to ensure it is applied consistently across all 22 councils. He said offering free bus travel could lead to calls for emergency workers to receive the same entitlement.
Senedd Members voted 35-13 against the motion. The Welsh Government’s amended version – which removed the Tories’ five calls – was agreed 36-11, with one abstention.
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A CALL for assurances from the Home Secretary that a Pembrokeshire military training camp will not be used to accommodate asylum seekers has been made by a local Senedd member.
Samuel Kurtz MS has written to the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP, seeking urgent assurances following reports that Castlemartin Training Camp could be used to accommodate asylum seekers.
Speaking in the Senedd Chamber, Samuel Kurtz also raised the issue directly with Welsh Ministers, who confirmed that the Welsh Labour Government has had “no contact” with the UK Government regarding any proposals for Castlemartin.
In his letter, Samuel Kurtz warns that any move to repurpose the site would have serious implications for national defence and local services.
“Castlemartin is one of the United Kingdom’s few facilities capable of hosting live firing exercises at battlegroup level,” he said. “It provides vital training for our armed forces, and any restriction on its use would represent a serious loss of national defence capability at a critical time.
“It has also been used by soldiers from other nations, including Ukrainian armed forces, to support their efforts in repelling Russia following its invasion.”
The MS also raised concerns about the suitability of the location for residential use.
“Castlemartin’s rural setting and limited infrastructure make it completely inappropriate for large scale accommodation. Local health and public services in Pembrokeshire are already stretched, and access to transport and amenities is limited,” he added.
“The site would likely be serviced by local GP practices, such as Argyle Medical Group, where there are already concerns in the community that access to these services is inefficient.”
In the letter, Samuel Kurtz calls on the Home Office to rule out the use of Castlemartin, and nearby Penally Camp, for asylum accommodation, and to ensure full consultation with the Welsh Government, local authorities and elected representatives before any decisions are taken about the use of military or public land in Pembrokeshire.
He added: “Our armed forces need certainty that their training facilities will be protected, and our communities deserve to be properly consulted. I am concerned that the UK Labour Government is hiding behind the headlines, saying they are closing hotels while pushing the problem onto local communities.”
The Home Office, Pembrokeshire County Council, and local MP Henry Tufnell have all been contacted for responses.
Pembrokeshire has previously seen military facilities used to house asylum seekers.
Penally camp, which has been in existence since 1860 as a military training facility, was prominent in the headlines between October 2020 and March 2021 when it became the controversial base for asylum seekers.
Amid protests from inside and outside its gates, the camp housed up to 250 asylum seekers at the height of its occupancy.
It came under fire from its residents and independent inspectors for its poor living conditions.
After the last of the asylum seekers departed, it was handed back to the MoD by the Home Office, who had previously repurposed it; the camp itself closed in late 2022.
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