Former pupils allege abuse at closed Gwynedd education unit

Former pupils of a closed Gwynedd education unit have described abuse that included staff throwing footballs at them, pouring blackcurrant juice over their heads and forcing them to eat dog biscuits off the floor. Gwynedd Council has now acknowledged that pupils were mistreated at Canolfan Brynffynnon and has apologised to victims, while saying compensation is being paid by its insurers without any admission of liability.

The allegations centre on Canolfan Brynffynnon in Y Felinheli, near Caernarfon, an education referral unit for children with behavioural and emotional needs that closed in 2014. Former pupils say they were also locked in a dark toilet and had their noses flicked until they bled. One former pupil, Rhiannon Evans, said a member of staff poured a pint of blackcurrant juice over her head, while another said being struck by “rock-solid” balls left them with a lasting fear of football.

The payments now being made underline how serious the claims have become. Five former pupils had received compensation from the council’s insurers since April 2026, and 14 more were still pursuing claims. Two agreed settlements were reported at £10,000 each, and the total number of claimants being discussed in coverage has reached 21 people. Gwynedd Council has said the money has come from its insurers, not from an acceptance of legal responsibility.

The history of the unit has already been marked by earlier police and child protection inquiries. In 2014, two members of staff were arrested and bailed during the investigation into the unit, and a later BBC report in 2016 said child cruelty charges against two staff members were dropped. The council said at the time that the unit was shut “until all investigations have been completed”, but the closure also fuelled questions over how long concerns had been allowed to build before action was taken.

Solicitor Katherine Yates, who represents former pupils, is now calling for a public inquiry into Gwynedd Council’s child safeguarding measures. She says she does not believe children are safe under the council’s current arrangements. For families and former pupils, the compensation offers financial recognition of harm, but the bigger issue remains institutional failure: who knew, what safeguards collapsed, and why vulnerable children say they were left exposed to abuse inside a public education setting.