School governor and senior North Wales councillor apologises for failures which allowed paedophile head to abuse children

Dale Spridgeon, local democracy reporter

A school governor and senior north Wales councillor has apologised for the ‘failures’ which allowed a paedophile headmaster to abuse children.

The Bangor City Mayor and Cyngor Gwynedd cabinet member, councillor Medwyn Hughes, has given his “sincere apologies” to Neil Foden’s victims and pledged “to do his part” to protect children.

In a statement he said that organisations and individuals had been “deceived” by Foden, who he described as a “bully and perpetrator of the worst degree”.

Cllr Hughes has been a Cyngor Gwynedd representative on the Ysgol Friars board of Governors since 2017.

He was in the role at the same time that the now jailed head teacher from Old Colwyn was committing his abuse of children.

That confirmation came during a questions and answer session at Cyngor Gwynedd’s full council meeting on Thursday. (December 4).

In a statement the Plaid Cymru Canol Bangor councillor for Cyngor Gwynedd, Cllr Medwyn Hughes, said: “As one of the current governors of Ysgol Friars, and a former governor during
Foden’s time at the school, I sincerely apologise to the victims for our failures as a governing body which have been highlighted in the independent report ‘Our Bravery Brought Justice’.

“We, as other individuals and organisations, were deceived by a paedophile, a bully and a perpetrator of the worst degree.

“Nothing can change the past, but I am determined to do my part as a councillor and a governor to see improvements and changes that can help us protect children much much better for the future.”

‘Failures’

Corris and Maddwy councillor John Pughe Roberts had asked the council’s leader “to confirm that no individual connected to these failures is currently serving in her Cabinet”.

The leader, Porthmadog Councillor Nia Jeffreys, had replied that “one of the Cabinet Members serves as a governor at Ysgol Friars”.

Although she did not name him in the meeting, it was confirmed that she was referring to Cllr Hughes.

Foden’s vile crimes ended in 2023 when a claim of sexual assault was made by a child and he was arrested.

He was imprisoned last year, for 17 years after being convicted of 19 charges involving four girls.