THIS month sees the completion by Michael Howells of 25 years service in the post of Her Majesty's Coroner for Pembrokeshire. Coroners are appointed by the local authority for the district in which they are to serve, so Mr. Howells was appointed to his post by Dyfed County Council and was confirmed in it when Pembrokeshire County Council was re- created. Mr. Howells is now Wales' most experienced coroner, all the other coroners in the Principality having been appointed more recently. This experience showed in his being asked to conduct an inquest on a controversial death in Swansea, an inquest that lasted over a period of three months. Many high profile inquests have been held in Pembrokeshire, many of which have attracted national interest. The inquests into the death of a passenger on the ferry Norrona; the death of four local men in an explosion in the Pointsman in Milford Docks; and the loss of the crew of the lobster boat Inspire are examples of the maritime concerns of the county. The world of industry came under his scrutiny when a death occurred as a result of an explosion at the now closed refinery at Gulf. And the results of crime are continually arising in inquests - deaths as a result of drugs, drunkenness and dangerous behaviour are dealt with regularly. On a different level, he has had to deal with two double murders in two years - the Scoveston murders and the Coastal Path murders, an experience that is believed to be, thankfully, unique. He undertook the last Treasure Trove inquest in Wales before the definition of Treasure was changed by the law. It was one of the most valuable finds ever made in Wales and certainly the most valuable in Pembrokeshire. It was, of course, the Tregwynt Hoard, a stunning collection of gold and silver coins from Tudor and Stuart times, that is now housed in the National Museum in Cardiff. A local man, Mr. Howells is the elder son of the late Mr. and Mrs. B. G. Howells, of Pembroke Dock. His grandfather, Mr. Ben Howells, farmed Gloyne Farm, Narberth, and his mother came from the well- known Milford family who operated 'Francis the Ironmonger' in Charles Street for nearly 100 years - and that family originated near Moylegrove. As he says, Mr. Howells is one of the endangered species, a genuine local! Asked about his retirement, he said that the Government did not allow coroners to draw their pensions until aged 70, so he would be around for a few years yet, especially as the prospect of the removal of the post of coroner from Pembrokeshire was receding.