CEREDIGION County Council’s FOI team has come under fire after it accused anti-puppy farm campaigners of breaking into the property of a convicted illegal dog breeder.

In a response to a Freedom of Information request by campaigner Susan Rouhan, the council claimed Puppy Love Campaigns had “illegally obtained” evidence against Richard Samuel Morgan Jones, 31, of Llanwnnen, near Lampeter.

But the council has now made an unreserved apology after Ronnie Lambert, of Puppy Love Campaigns, accused the council of making a “defamatory” comment.

Last January, Jones was convicted of breeding dogs without a licence and of causing unnecessary suffering to 21 dogs in his care.

Jones was sentenced to nine weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and banned from keeping dogs for four years.

On appeal, Jones secured a change in the terms of his ban so he was only banned from dealing in dogs for a period of six years, but was allowed to keep dogs to work on his farm.

Ms Rouhan, who has amassed more than 36,000 signatures on a petition calling on the council to help free Jones’ dogs, told the council she had seen video evidence from Puppy Love Campaigns which showed that Jones’ breeding establishments at Moelfre and Y Shed had long breached licensing conditions.

Responding to Ms Rouhan, correspondence from the council’s FOI team read: “This evidence was obtained illegally when the above organisation broke into the shed overnight. As such, this evidence could not be used.”

But Ms Lambert wrote to the council expressing her dismay and asked officers whether the council holds evidence of illegal activity by the group.

In a letter dated 5 December, the council’s head of police support Alun Williams replied: “I have carefully considered your representations and confirm that the council does not hold any evidence to suggest a break-in by Puppy Love Campaigns either at night or during daylight hours.

“I offer my sincere apologies if that was the inference taken from our FOI response."

See this week’s South Ceredigion paper for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now