I WAS made redundant from RNAD Trecwn in 1994. Prior to that I was the TGWU convenor who worked tirelessly with other unions to try and not only fight the closure but to try and look for alternative work opportunities for the area.

We had already lost Milford Mine depot and the staff relocated to Trecwn. At the time Sealink had not cut the staff they were employing and they were running the Sea Cat during the summer. Dewhurst was working flat out and things were not too bad.

At the time I produced an economic impact report copies of which are in the National Library in Aberystwyth telling those decision makers what the impact of defence closures would be on the local economy but going further and giving a worse scenario option – for example if there were cuts at Sealink or if Dewhirst closed down.

The document was used by the Welsh Affairs Select Committee that met in the Fishguard Bay Hotel to look at the effects of closures and to take evidence from Dyfed County Council, Preseli Pembrokeshire District Council and a number of other organisations. The conclusions were a drear and drab future for the area. We even drove around Europe in three days trying to lobby EU Commissioners in Luxembourg, Strasburg and Brussels.

Let’s move to today in 2018, The last bank in Fishguard has just announced its closure (meaning there will be no banks in Fishguard). The doctors’ surgery in Goodwick has just informed its patients it will be closing and they have to move to the Fishguard surgery. Shops are standing empty.

We are then told that our district hospital in Haverfordwest may close. I drove to Fishguard on Saturday this week at 9am and saw three people on the square.

What I would like to know is what are all our elected representatives – and that stretches from the House of Commons to Pembrokeshire County Council and the town council – doing? Instead of delegations of paid councillors, AMs and MPs trooping off to fight our corner ... silence!

I came here over 40 years ago and always felt that I owed this community something for giving me a living and letting me raise my family here. Now I am increasingly saddened because unless urgent action is taken, my grandchildren, who were all born in the area, will have to move to seek work and it truly will be the death of Fishguard as we will not be able to offer them any future.

Thank you for letting me show my concern in this way but if no one shouts then don’t expect anything to be done.

ALEX ALLISON

Fishguard