Residents say group bans, naming officials and safeguarding questions have created fear — Ajay Owen rejects all claims.

A GROWING number of Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion residents have contacted The Herald with concerns about the conduct of SARS Cymru director, community Facebook group administrator and former prospective Reform UK candidate, Ajay Owen.

The Herald understands that tensions have escalated over several months, involving disputes in local Facebook groups, allegations of harassment from both sides, questions about Mr Owen’s public statements on social care and asylum issues, and confusion over the perceived role of his volunteer organisation, SARS Cymru.

Mr Owen has strongly rejected many of the concerns raised. He has supplied The Herald with a detailed written response, which is published in full at the end of this article.

He also chose to publish the same response in full on his Facebook page prior to this article’s publication.

Background: political fallout and community rows

Mr Owen first came to wider public attention locally during the Schools of Sanctuary debate earlier this year, when he criticised participating schools and parents who supported the programme. His posts prompted significant backlash, including from teachers, parents and community members.

Around the same time, it was suggested online that he intended to stand as a prospective Reform UK candidate in Pembrokeshire. Reform sources later told The Herald that comments he made about the scheme “brought the party into disrepute”.

This dispute contributed to the first major split within the community Facebook groups he ran. Several residents say they were removed after questioning his posts. Others say he blocked them or prevented them from commenting.

Mr Owen says these removals were justified and based on group rules.

Previous Herald coverage: blue-light allegations

In November 2024, The Herald reported that Mr Owen — then Director and Chair of Dyfed-Powys Neighbourhood Watch — had been stopped twice by police following false reports that he was using illegal blue lights on his vehicle. No blue lights were found, and he was cleared on both occasions.

Mr Owen has repeatedly cited this incident as an example of what he calls “malicious reporting” against him, and has since joked publicly about the matter.

Some residents say the blue-light article marked the point where his relationship with The Herald deteriorated. Mr Owen wrote on Facebook that The Herald had “made him out to be the bad person”.

However, our reporting was accurate, and confirmed by the police.

Growth of SARS Cymru and public presentation

Since early 2024, Mr Owen has built SARS Cymru — a volunteer-run organisation that provides “situational updates”, weather warnings, community information and occasional on-scene assistance such as sandbagging or checking on residents.

The organisation now has around 11,000 followers on Facebook.

Residents say they appreciate some of the information provided, but others have expressed concern about:

• the use of heavily edited “Director” photographs
• posts referring to SARS Cymru volunteers as being “on the frontline”
• the listing of a single “emergency number” which is Mr Owen’s personal mobile
• confusion over whether SARS Cymru has any official status

Several emergency service sources have confirmed to The Herald that SARS Cymru does not hold any statutory powers, has no formal agreements with police, fire or local authority services, and has no legal authority to respond to emergencies.

Mr Owen disputes that SARS Cymru’s presentation is misleading.

Recent flashpoint: publication of residents’ photographs

One of the most serious concerns raised with The Herald relates to screenshots that appeared to show photographs of children — taken from residents’ personal Facebook pages — being reposted publicly by Mr Owen without parental consent.

Residents say this happened after disagreements in one of the community groups.

Mr Owen says the images were visible on public profiles, that he removed them after complaints, and that he posted an apology which he later deleted following what he describes as threats against him and his family.

Parents who contacted The Herald described the incident as “deeply distressing”, “intimidating” and “beyond acceptable behaviour”.

Safeguarding referral confirmed in council documents

A further concern relates to a safeguarding referral that met the Section 5 ‘person in position of trust’ threshold, according to correspondence disclosed in a subject access request.

Mr Owen confirmed the referral in his response to The Herald. He maintains the concerns were “unsubstantiated”, says the matter was connected to his support for an elderly resident, and states that the Disclosure & Barring Service took no action.

The Herald makes no allegation of wrongdoing but reports the safeguarding referral because it has been repeatedly referenced both by residents and by Mr Owen himself.

Posts about social workers and serious allegations

Several residents also highlighted a post Mr Owen shared on 16 October containing an “EXPOSED” graphic naming two social workers.

In his commentary, Mr Owen wrote that local authority children’s services were “trafficking children in a legal way”. One quote he reposted from an online page claimed a senior former social worker was “running a child trafficking network, in a legal way”.

These posts caused alarm among residents, several of whom said they felt the language was “irresponsible”, “inflammatory” or “defamatory”.

Mr Owen stands by the statements, saying they reflected long-standing concerns raised by families.

Community group administration

During October and November, a new wave of complaints emerged. Residents accuse Mr Owen of:

• removing or banning users for questioning him
• contacting employers of individuals who disagreed with him
• reposting screenshots of residents’ profiles
• monitoring public comments and “keeping screenshots”
• creating an atmosphere where some people feel unable to speak openly

Several residents provided The Herald with extensive screenshots. Some have filed reports with Dyfed-Powys Police. Others say they no longer trust local online spaces administered by Mr Owen.

Mr Owen says he has himself reported more than 100 screenshots to police and considers the criticism part of a “campaign of harassment” against him.

Official response from statutory agencies

Dyfed-Powys Police, Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Pembrokeshire County Council and Hywel Dda University Health Board were contacted for comment about SARS Cymru and whether any formal working arrangements exist.

All confirmed there are no formal agreements with SARS Cymru and that emergency incidents must always be reported via 999 or statutory channels.

Ajay Owen’s response

Mr Owen provided The Herald with a lengthy written response and has also published the full version publicly on his Facebook page.

He told the Herald that he has received threats, believes he is the victim of a harassment campaign, and will “continue to out people who mistreat” him or his family. He says criticism reflects a “small, narrow-minded” community backlash.

Mr Owen also told us:

• Removals from community groups were due to “spam and bullying”, and because of “political backlash” when he briefly considered standing for election. He says moderators—not just himself—removed people.
• Contacting employers was, he says, justified where he believed individuals made threats or engaged in harassment. He said public-facing workers “represent their organisations” and employers “have a right to know”.
• Posting screenshots of children from residents’ Facebook pages was, he says, done on his personal page and later deleted. He argues people should understand the risks of sharing images publicly, and described this as giving residents a “reality check”.
• Claims he causes fear or retaliation are rejected. He says residents “can speak freely”, but must not “slag off” locals or businesses. He says he has submitted over 100 screenshots to police alleging harassment against him.
• SARS Cymru’s presentation is, he says, clear that it is not an emergency service. He accepts wording about being “the true frontline” may have been poorly phrased, but says volunteers deserve recognition. He confirmed SARS Cymru has no formal agreements with police, fire, or council services.
• The safeguarding investigation into him earlier this year was, he says, “unsubstantiated”. He says the DBS raised no concerns and he is not barred from working with vulnerable adults or children.
• Complaints about public officials were, he says, raised on behalf of others. He says he “does not need to gather intelligence” because “locals talk” and he receives information via social media.
• He stands by comments describing children’s services as “trafficking children in a legal way”, and defended naming two social workers publicly, saying they are “public servants” and should expect scrutiny.
• He defended naming a police staff member in a welfare-concern post, saying the officer publicly identified themselves first.
• He said professionally edited “Director” photos are used so people can recognise him if they need to raise concerns.