A MINISTER in the small Gwent village rocked by last week's horrific murder remembered victim Cerys Marie Yemm in a service today.

Reverend Charlotte Moss of Argoed Baptist Church said her heart goes out to the families of both victim Miss Yemm, 22, and her killer Matthew Williams, 34, following the murder this week.

Reverend Moss spoke of the tragedy at the Sirhowy Arms Hotel hostel during a remembrance service at Argoed Village Hall this morning.

She said: “Violence manifests itself in a myriad of ways and as a village we are reminded of this this past week after the violent death of a young woman.

“We remember the sorrow and pain of her family, her friends and her neighbourhood and this neighbourhood.

“We also remember the sorrow and the pain of the person who committed the act of violence, his family and the community he comes from.

“Our village’s hour has come in a very real and personal way this week. How we respond to it is our choice.”

After the service she said: “My heart goes out to both families, it’s a tragedy for both families as he was a victim as well.”

The Ministry of Justice has pledged a serious case review after the tragedy.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice confirmed a serious further offence review will take place to see if lessons can be learned from the case.

Such reviews are immediately launched if a serious offence is alleged to have happened within 30 days of a person leaving prison or is on licence.

The review will examine the circumstances of Miss Yemm's death, the management of Williams following his release from prison and whether steps can be taken to improve public protection.

The ministry told the Argus that Williams had served a sentence and was not on probation at the time of the incident. They have not confirmed details of his convictions.

However, sources say Williams had served a five-year sentence for an attack on a woman and he had previously been in jail for four years for a series of burglaries.

A lone female officer found Williams attacking Miss Yemm and tasered him. He became unresponsive and died later. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating his death as he died under arrest in police custody.

It is alleged Williams had been committing an act of cannibalism. But Gwent Police has refused to confirm or deny the allegation. A murder inquiry into Miss Yemm's death continues - police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

This morning marked the first remembrance service the village has ever seen, after a 30 year campaign led by Councillor Leon Gardiner to install a memorial stone to the village.

Cllr Gardiner thanked local engineer Jim Davies and his wife who donated the memorial stone.

Argoed lost two villagers to the two world wars, Wyndham Evans in the First World War and Joseph Yandle in the Second World War.

Rev Moss read out a list of names of fallen soldiers from Welsh battalions and the congregation paused to remember each of the names.

She said: “When numbers become names, names become people and people matter.”