Gwent has recorded 11 killings in the first ten months of 2026, a 270 per cent increase described as “unprecedented” by the force’s chief constable, as the Welsh county continues to grapple with the murder of 14-year-old Lilly Jones.
Lilly disappeared in Blaina one Saturday evening in June, prompting neighbours to join the search. Her body was found two days later in woodland at Duffryn Park, a nine-acre area beside the Ebbw Fach river.
She had suffered multiple stab wounds. A 14-year-old boy was later charged with her murder.
The death has left the former mining community, home to fewer than 5,000 people, struggling to come to terms with violence that residents say has exposed the lack of visible policing in the area.
Gwent killings put pressure on police
Gwent, a largely rural county north-east of Cardiff, would normally record about two or three murders a year. The 11 killings recorded by October have placed significant demands on its 1,535 officers.
Chief Constable Mark Hobrough has warned that officers are at risk of burnout and that record overtime payments are putting substantial pressure on the force’s finances.
He said that, if the increase continued into next year, the force might have to consider using specialist investigators on short-term temporary contracts, described initially as “zero-hours type” arrangements.
Gwent Police later clarified that it does not employ people on zero-hours contracts. Any new recruits would instead work on short-term contracts similar to agency arrangements and could be brought in during future periods of high demand.
Mr Hobrough said the killings were not linked and that many had their roots in domestic violence or substance misuse. Others appeared to have followed apparently minor disputes.
Among the victims was 17-year-old rugby player Tristan Kerr, who was stabbed with a zombie knife in Abertridwr, near Caerphilly, in February.
In May, 19-year-old Jaydon Bowyer and his 16-year-old best friend, Ta-Shay Canoville, died after being thrown from a motorbike in what police suspect was a hit-and-run in Newport.
The oldest victim was 74-year-old Brian Parfitt, who died a month earlier after being attacked inside his home in Pontypool.
Tony Jones, a 56-year-old father of two, was killed during a fight in Pontnewynydd on August 7. Police believe rival motorcycle clubs, the Hells Angels and the Vikings, were involved, with knives and hammers reportedly used in the violence.
Officers investigating the deaths have made 45 arrests and preserved 55 scenes. Mr Hobrough also said the period had included other serious incidents, including the death of a nine-month-old baby in a dog attack.
Residents question resources after Lilly Jones murder
In Blaina, residents have criticised the prospect of bringing in temporary investigators and questioned whether the force has enough officers to protect communities across the Valleys.
Brian Jones, a 62-year-old retired scaffolder, said Lilly’s body was found by two boys shortly after police had called off the search at dusk. He said officers were alerted but took a further 12 minutes to return to the scene.
“We all know the resources aren’t there. We saw that when the young girl went missing and was found dead,” he said.
Retired dementia carer Jonathan Williams, 60, said the area had lost the police stations and courtrooms that once served towns across the Valleys.
“It’s all falling apart. Growing up there was a police station and courtroom in every town in the Valleys, but not anymore,” he said.
“This is one of the most poverty-hit areas in the UK.”
Residents have also complained about masked groups of young people riding quad bikes, motorbikes and electric scooters through Blaina and nearby Abertillery, Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr.
Angela Thomas, 69, said she wanted to see a return to traditional policing, with officers recruited and trained in the normal way.
“If we need more police officers the Government should put up the money and they should be recruited and trained in the normal way,” she said.
Blaina’s high street has a number of shuttered shops, while those still trading include takeaways and Turkish barbers. Residents said they rarely saw police officers on the streets or had access to community police stations.
Cara Davies, 43, who runs a street food business in the town, said she had been close to two of the killings, including Lilly’s death and the incident in Pontypool.
“It’s a frightening place to live and work at the moment,” she said.
“There’s been a big increase in murders and serious crime in Gwent but you don’t see police on the streets. There were plenty here when Lilly died, but after that it went back to normal.”
Newport Crown Court recently heard how another apparently minor confrontation ended in a death. Kyle O’Callaghan, 30, punched Marcus Carpenter, 37, outside a Wetherspoons on February 20 after believing he had been disrespected.
O’Callaghan had asked Mr Carpenter to come outside after hearing that he had been saying things about him. He then struck him twice, including a second blow described in court as “fatal, sickening” while Mr Carpenter’s arms were by his sides.
O’Callaghan admitted manslaughter and was jailed for ten-and-a-half years.
No further murders have been recorded in Gwent since the Pontnewynydd brawl in August, but residents in Blaina fear the violence and pressure on the police force are not over.
