A woman whose dad died of Covid-19 in a care home in Aberystwyth is part of a group calling for a criminal investigation into the conduct of Welsh Government during the pandemic.

Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru have submitted a file to police seeking a criminal investigation into the conduct of the government in connection with the failure to protect elderly vulnerable residents of care homes during the pandemic.

The complaint has been submitted on behalf of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, which includes Catherine Griffiths. Her father, RAF Group Captain Harold Griffiths, died of Covid-19 at Hafan y Waun care home in Aberystwyth at the age of 86.

Originally from Dinas-Mawddwy in Gwynedd, he moved to Aberystwyth to be closer to Catherine, from Machynlleth, who has relentlessly fought for justice for victims of the pandemic.

As a member of campaign group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru she co-led Module 6 of the inquiry regarding care homes in a bid to prove mistakes were made and thousands of lives were needlessly lost.

Now she is one of around 340 families across Wales who experienced bereavement during the pandemic seeking accountability for decisions and delays by Welsh Government they say exposed vulnerable care home residents to avoidable risk during the pandemic.

They point to the ongoing investigation in Scotland, Operation Koper, by a dedicated Covid Deaths Investigation Team.

Sam Smith-Higgins, Co-Lead of CBFJC, said: “We have given very careful consideration before submitting this file and we would not have taken this step unless we believed it was warranted.

“As this may become a criminal investigation, we have been advised that we cannot comment further.”

Catherine Griffiths, Co-Lead of CBFJC, said: “My father died from COVID in a Welsh care home. For many families like mine, this is about accountability - something we feel the Welsh Government has so far avoided.”