Allegations of Abuse at Canolfan Brynffynnon
Former pupils have reported being subjected to severe mistreatment at Canolfan Brynffynnon, an educational referral unit in Y Felinheli. Among the allegations are being forced to eat dog biscuits off the floor, enduring physical abuse such as being pelted with hard footballs, and having blackcurrant juice poured over them.
These actions were reportedly not punishments but were carried out for the amusement of staff. Other forms of discipline included locking pupils in dark toilets and flicking their noses until they bled.
Cyngor Gwynedd has acknowledged that abuse occurred at the unit and issued an apology to the victims. Two former staff members implicated have denied the allegations.
Rhiannon Evans, who was 10 years old when she attended the unit, and Levi Lewis, who was four, are among 21 individuals pursuing claims through solicitor Katherine Yates. Two claimants have settled with the local authority for £10,000 each, citing the harm they suffered.
Ms. Yates has called for a public inquiry into the council's management of schools, highlighting the case's connection to the recent conviction of paedophile headmaster Neil Foden.
"Every day there was something going on, from kids dragged down a corridor to kids being made to eat dog biscuits from a floor,"said Rhiannon, now 27.
"I do remember a certain incident where they threw a biscuit on the floor and they told me to eat it. I remember the exact biscuit. It was a Bourbon chocolate biscuit."
Background and Experiences of Rhiannon Evans
Canolfan Brynffynnon closed in 2014 following allegations of mistreatment by staff. Rhiannon, from Caernarfon, was placed there six years prior due to behavioural issues at her primary school. She attributes her difficulties to being bullied because she was fostered by her grandparents, which made her life different from her peers.
Upon arrival, Rhiannon described feeling demeaned, recalling an incident where a staff member poured a pint of blackcurrant juice over her head for entertainment.
"I was sticky all afternoon,"she said.
"I smelt all afternoon and I went home and my grandmother put me straight in a bath. But the smell of blackcurrant juice, it lingered for a good few days."
Children who showed progress were allowed to revisit their main schools, but poor reports resulted in punishments upon return to Brynffynnon. These punishments included being locked in bathrooms with the lights off and having tyres stacked on them with only their heads exposed, followed by being kicked with hard footballs.
"And then they would kick footballs at our heads – like rock hard solid footballs,"Rhiannon added.
She described the experience as akin to serving a prison sentence and noted that discussing it revives the pain. Everyday activities, such as making a drink or seeing children play football, can trigger distressing memories.
"I don't think that damage can ever be undone – ever. The emotional trauma will never leave me, unfortunately."
In 2023, Rhiannon pleaded guilty to harassment of her boyfriend's ex-partner, resulting in a two-year restraining order. She expressed regret for her actions and linked some of her adult decisions to the bitterness stemming from her childhood.
Levi Lewis' Account of His Time at the Unit
Levi Lewis, now 21, initially described the school as normal but recalled that mistreatment began soon after. He was made to eat dog biscuits and endured escalating punishments.
"I remember the shape of them, the colour, everything, so every time I see them in the shop it just makes me feel sick."
Levi was sent to the unit at age four from nursery in 2009 due to disruptive behaviour, which he later attributed to undiagnosed ADHD. He recounted being dragged by his hair down corridors and confined in dark toilets for extended periods.
"If I misbehaved they would take me to the office, sometimes just in the classroom in front of people, and they would flick my nose so hard to the point where it just started pouring with blood,"Levi said.
He continues to experience spontaneous nosebleeds and has a lasting fear of footballs due to being pelted with them and having knuckles pressed into his head.
"I still get night terrors sometimes,"he added.
"They're not often but they do happen. When I was about 11, maybe 12, they'd happen almost every night – just waking up in a cold sweat from a nightmare about one of the things they did to me. I have found a way to cope with them, but I don't think I'll ever be rid of them."
Levi expressed concerns about the safety of children in Gwynedd schools.
Legal Proceedings and Council Response
In 2016, two former staff members faced child cruelty charges related to Brynffynnon but the charges were dropped after the Crown Prosecutor determined the evidence did not meet the threshold for a criminal trial. The men continue to deny the allegations and cite the discontinuation of the criminal case in their defence.
In contrast, a separate case involving Neil Foden, a former head teacher in Gwynedd, resulted in a 17-year prison sentence in 2024 for sexual abuse of four girls over four years. A subsequent review identified over 50 missed opportunities to intervene and prevent his abuse.
Katherine Yates, representing victims of both Brynffynnon and Foden, emphasized the need for a public inquiry.
"I think we need a public inquiry. It's not as if Canolfan Brynffynnon is a kind of one-off. It comes hot on the heels of the Neil Foden case. Who knows what else is waiting to come out? How many other skeletons are clattering about in the cupboards? I don't think Gwynedd should be marking its own homework. I think we need to know what's happened, why it happened, is anyone to blame, and what we can do to prevent it happening again?"
Ms. Yates is currently representing 21 claimants. Cyngor Gwynedd has received 10 formal claims, nine of which have been settled.
In a statement, the council admitted that pupils had been subjected to abuse and extended sympathies and apologies to victims.
"No child should have to suffer abuse of any kind, and although these cases go back several years, we extend our sympathies to the victims and apologise to them."
The council has commissioned a new review of actions taken at the time to ensure lessons are learned and states that child safeguarding arrangements have been thoroughly reviewed and strengthened in line with the 2025 "Our Bravery Brought Justice" report.
A spokesperson noted that compensation claims may be settled to avoid court processes and that independent insurers handle investigations and decisions regarding claims in accordance with the law.
