Community

Ajay Owen confirms key Herald reporting in lengthy online tirade

Published

2 months ago

November 28, 2025

In a 5,000-word website blog post described as a “corrective measure”, the SARS Cymru director has confirmed several of the most serious points raised in last week’s Herald investigation.

SINCE The Herald published its investigation into SARS Cymru on 25 November, director Ajay Owen has issued a lengthy public rebuttal.

In that statement, posted on Friday, Mr Owen confirmed that he reposted photographs of children without parental consent in order to “show residents how it felt to have their privacy invaded”. He also announced that he will “in the coming days” publish private messages and screenshots linked to the dispute.

Mr Owen’s new statement follows significant local concern about SARS Cymru’s activities, including volunteers attending incidents without invitation, the use of amber beacons on private vehicles, and the administration of several large local Facebook groups.

Three key admissions

On reposting photographs of children

“I reposted public images from their profiles to show them how it felt to have their privacy invaded. Was it the right choice? I apologised and removed it.”

This directly confirms the accounts of parents and residents who spoke to the Herald last week.

On plans to release private messages

“In the coming days, I am releasing the screenshots that the newspapers were too afraid to print.”

Police and Meta have been informed of the stated intention to publish large quantities of private correspondence.

On the safeguarding referral

Mr Owen again states that a Section 5 safeguarding referral was “unsubstantiated”. This confirms that a formal referral and threshold assessment took place, exactly as the Herald reported.

Additional resident concerns

Following publication of the Herald’s initial article, further residents have contacted this newspaper and commented publicly on social media.

One resident, Jerome Bartens, claimed Mr Owen attempted to stop farmers accessing livestock during snowy conditions by creating an unauthorised road block.
Mr Bartens said: “He blocked the road himself and told people they needed a permit to get through because the sign was covered. He was doing traffic management without authority.”

Another resident, commenting on Nation.Cymru’s report, described confusion about SARS Cymru’s appearance at a recent flood response.
Roger Thomas said: “Their uniform is very police-like. In a major incident with fire and ambulance crews, they were confusing. I still don’t know what role they played.”

Claims that collapsed

In his rebuttal, Mr Owen accuses this newspaper of suggesting he posted “inappropriate images of children”. The original Herald article made no such claim. It reported only that images of children were posted without consent and later removed.

Mr Owen also states that journalists “refused to look at hundreds of screenshots”. In fact, the Herald published his complete 5,000-word response verbatim.

It is also worth noting that the responses Mr Owen sent to the Herald, presented as a detailed rebuttal, were the same statements he had already posted publicly on his own Facebook page.

Statutory services restate their position

Dyfed-Powys Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and Pembrokeshire County Council have all reiterated to the Herald that SARS Cymru has no formal partnership, memorandum of understanding, or delegated authority.

Herald response

Mr Owen states in his post that he will “not stop” and that SARS Cymru “will not stop”.

The Herald considers the public interest in this matter fully served by the original investigation, read more than 100,000 times in its first four days, and by Mr Owen’s own subsequent confirmations.

We have no plans for further commentary unless significant new evidence emerges.

Community

Generous support agreed for Milford Haven Library

Published

38 minutes ago

January 29, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A FUNDING package worth £18,700 has been agreed to help secure the long-term financial sustainability of Milford Haven Library.

At a meeting on Monday (Jan 12), Milford Haven Town Council approved funding to support the library over the next three years.

The decision follows a year of partnership working between Pembrokeshire County Council, the Port of Milford Haven and the Town Council, as the organisations sought solutions to ongoing funding pressures.

A public consultation held in 2025 highlighted the importance of the library as a valued community asset, not only for book lending but also as a hub for groups, wellbeing checks and warm spaces.

Discussions resulted in a contribution of £10,000 from the Port of Milford Haven and £3,000 from the Town Council to ensure the library could continue operating during the 2025/26 financial year. The latest agreement extends that support, providing funding for the next three years alongside continued substantial backing from the Port over the lifetime of the council’s lease.

Councillor Rhys Sinnett, Pembrokeshire County Council’s cabinet member for residents’ services, said: “This is excellent news for the town as it allows us at Pembrokeshire County Council to continue providing a much-valued service at current levels.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support of Milford Haven Town Council and the Port of Milford Haven, as through partnership working we are able to maintain this important community resource.”

Councillor William Elliott, Mayor of Milford Haven, said the agreement reflected the value placed on the library by the community. He said: “We are delighted to have reached a consensus to support the library over the next three years.
“We value the importance of the library not just for the loaning of books, but also for its wider role supporting groups, wellbeing checks, warm spaces and more.
“Over the past 12 months we have continued to work closely with the library team, the County Council and the Port of Milford Haven to explore all available options, and we remain committed to this partnership going forward.”

Tom Sawyer, chief executive of the Port of Milford Haven, added: “Libraries are cornerstones of our communities — places where people connect, learn and feel supported.
“We’re proud to have helped ensure this vital resource remains accessible to everyone who depends on it.”

Milford Haven Library is based at Cedar Court. Further information about the library and its facilities is available via Pembrokeshire County Council’s libraries service.

Community

Specialist team searches River Teifi in ongoing hunt for missing man

Published

3 hours ago

January 29, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SPECIALIST search team has carried out a renewed and highly technical search of the River Teifi in Cardigan as efforts continue to find a man who was last seen entering the water earlier this month.

The operation was undertaken on Wednesday (Jan 28) by Specialist Group International (SGI), following a request from the family of Kurtis Brook.

Kurtis was witnessed entering the River Teifi on Saturday (Jan 4). Despite extensive searches involving multiple agencies and voluntary rescue organisations since then, he has not been located.

SGI confirmed that a seven-person specialist team conducted a coordinated search along the river, working downstream to the mouth of the Teifi estuary. The operation involved the deployment of high-frequency side-scan sonar, equipment capable of detecting objects beneath the water’s surface even in low-visibility conditions.

However, the team said conditions on the river remain exceptionally challenging. Recent storms, prolonged high river levels, floodwater and tidal influence have significantly altered the river environment since the initial incident.

In a statement, SGI said the search area contained “significant debris, obstructions and strainers,” describing flood and tidal river searches as among the most complex and hazardous situations faced by rescue specialists.

The Herald understands that the River Teifi has experienced repeated high-flow events in recent weeks, complicating earlier search efforts and increasing risks for those operating on the water.

SGI added that while no breakthrough was made during the latest operation, their thoughts remain firmly with Kurtis’s family and loved ones, and they acknowledged the continued dedication shown by his friends and relatives throughout the search.

Emergency services and specialist teams have been involved in repeated searches since the incident, with the operation scaling back and resuming at various points as conditions allowed.

Anyone with information relevant to the disappearance is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police.

Business

Councillor condemns closure of Haverfordwest Santander branch

Published

6 hours ago

January 29, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A PEMBROKESHIRE councillor has spoken out after learning that the Santander branch in Haverfordwest is set to close later this year, warning the decision will have a serious impact on local residents, families and businesses.

The bank’s Bridge Street branch is due to close on Monday (May 5) as part of a wider UK restructuring programme.

Councillor Thomas Baden Tudor said he was “lost for words” and urged the bank to reconsider, describing the closure as devastating for customers who rely on face-to-face services.

Santander says the decision is driven by declining footfall, with more customers banking online, and that services will remain available via digital platforms and Post Office counters.

However, the announcement follows a steady erosion of high-street banking in Pembrokeshire. The Herald recently reported that Haverfordwest’s former Halifax branch is set to reopen as a nail salon.

In what appears to be a serious failure of planning, there is now not a single bank branch left anywhere in south Pembrokeshire. Towns including Tenby, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock are all without face-to-face banking facilities.

North Pembrokeshire has also been affected, with Fishguard and St Davids now lacking bank branches.

Pembrokeshire is understood to be left with just four bank branches in total — Nationwide in Milford Haven, and HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds Bank in Haverfordwest.