The editor of the Pembrokeshire Herald newspaper has called for the Port of Milford Haven to be prosecuted for identifying a youth involved in court proceedings.

Thomas Hutton Sinclair, of Hamilton Terrace, Milford Haven, entered no plea when he appeared at Llanelli Court this morning to answer a charge of breaching Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and called for representatives of the Port to join him in the dock.

Sinclair, 37, named the boy - who had been subject to a hearing at Haverfordwest youth court - in February.

Section 49 of the 1933 Act strictly prohibits the publication of the identity of anyone prosecuted in a youth court.

Any editor or publisher of a newspaper found guilty of breaching the Act faces an unlimited fine.

Representing Sinclair, Matthew Paul told the court that a press release issued by the Port of Milford Haven relating to the earlier hearing - though not naming the youth directly - contained enough information to identify the teen.

Mr Paul said Sinclair "accepts he has no available defence to the charge, however, in the circumstances, it would be unfair and oppressive" to prosecute him.

Mr Paul said the Port of Milford Haven had also breached the Act in the issuing of the press release and should therefore also face prosecution.

District Judge Simon Morgan told Sinclair: "As a journalist you would know proceedings in a youth court were subject to the 1933 Act.

"Even if this youth had appeared in an adult court, an order prohibiting publication of his identity would have been issued as a matter of course due to his age.

"Any journalist not present at such a hearing would surely have contacted the court to check what orders were in place in relation to a youth who had appeared."

However, Mr Morgan accepted that the CPS should be given time to consider whether to bring a further prosecution against the Port of Milford Haven.

The case was adjourned until October 6.

Speaking after the hearing, Sinclair told the Western Telegraph that he had brought the alleged breach by the Port to the court's attention in the hope it would lead to the charge against him being dropped.

"I do not want to see the Port of Milford Haven prosecuted," he said.

"What I want is for the CPS to come to their senses and drop this case."