Laura Ashley Machynlleth, Mid-Wales.

'Operation Laura' was a highly secretive internal investigation into the activities within the Manufacturing Division and beyond within Laura Ashley, a world famous Public Listed Company. At one stage, the investigation had three former CID officers on the case, including selected managers. The investigation gained information that the closure of the Laura Ashley Machynlleth factory together with the Llanidloes factory could have been due to a planned Management Buy Out. This information came to light during interviews and signed statements. The upheaval at this time forced Sir Bernard Ashley to sell shares to a Japanese company to prop up the company. He was later forced to sell more shares to the Malaysians. If this situation had not been necessary then the Ashley Family could well have been in control today, and thousands of jobs may not have been lost and share prices might not have plummeted. Lembit Opik was the Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire from 1997 until 2010, Peter Hain was the Labour MP (not AM) for Neath between 1991 and 2015 (and was a minster in the Blair government on several occasions).