A spoof Facebook page, masquerading as the official site of a Pembrokeshire town council, is raising hackles as well as smiles.

The page purporting to be Tenby Town Council is currently claiming that a shark attack on a seal off the coast of the resort could put the upcoming Ironman Wales event in jeopardy.

Under the headline Shark Attack Sparks Tensions in Tourist Town Ahead of Ironman Event, an "expert" said in the post: "Closing the beaches for a few weeks is the best course of action to avoid potential tragedy.

"A buffet for the apex predator"

"With over 2000 competitors entering the water, it'll be like a buffet for the apex predator." 

The tale of the shark attack fears follows on from a variety of cleverly-created posts on the page.

These have included reports that

  • sex toys and lingerie brand Ann Summers is setting up shop in the centre of Tenby
  • a large fairground is going to appear on the South Beach car park
  • the church bells are to be silenced because of noise complaints and
  • a ‘tourist tax’ is to be levied on visitors

The Ironman Wales 2024 swim takes to the water on Sunday September 22.The Ironman Wales 2024 swim takes to the water on Sunday September 22.  (Image: Gareth Davies Photography)

And while the majority of readers have taken the posts with a pinch of salt, there are some – including members of Tenby Town Council – who have been duped by the fake news.

Town clerk Andrew Davies said: “We’ve tried on numerous occasions over a number of years to have the site removed, but Facebook won’t accept it is a spoof site and won’t take it down.

“We can see from the comments on its posts that it has taken some people in, and that has occasionally included some of our councillors.”

Mystery

The source of the posts continues to be a mystery to the official Tenby Town Council.

“We’ve no idea who’s behind it,” admitted Mr Davies. “It’s certainly someone who has knowledge of council matters and procedures.”

The spoof post has attracted lively comment, with one warning: "Not just sharks you need to worry about, the Pentlepoir panther will be after them cyclists."

"Bit of fun"

Town mayor Dai Morgan - quoted in the fake page's post - was unavailable for comment, but town and county councillor Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, said: “The shark story is obviously intended as a bit of fun.

"The anonymous authors are keeping everyone guessing about their identity with their satire. I am sure most people reading this will realise it is a parody account.

"If not, we are going to need a bigger denial!"