CLAIMS have been made that free tickets to the National Eisteddfod in Tregaron – meant for refugees and disadvantaged children – have been claimed fraudulently.

Ceredigion MS, Elin Jones, who is also chair of the Ceredigion Eisteddfod Executive Committee, wrote on her Facebook page: “Over the weekend, free tickets for the Ceredigion Eisteddfod that were meant for local disadvantaged families and refugees have been claimed fraudulently/mistakenly.

“A unique code might have been wrongly shared, people who are more City than Ceredigion, who may be more affluent than disadvantaged, have been claiming free tickets.

“And as if one day’s free tickets weren’t enough for some, they may have had five computers in the house claiming five days of free family tickets!

“The Eisteddfod will now have to spend time re-validating all tickets - as if they didn’t have enough to do 2 weeks before gates open!

“These people may think they’re clever. But they’re just demonstrating common greed - and at the expense of children in poverty and refugees. You know who you are. Shame on you.”

A spokesman for the Eisteddfod supported Ms Jones’ comments, saying to the BBC: "We support the comments of the chair of our executive committee in Ceredigion, and express our huge disappointment at what happened over the weekend.

"Yes, it is going to cause hours of work for us as an organisation, but much worse than that is the fact that people feel it is acceptable to apply for tickets that were for disadvantaged families, knowing full well that they were not eligible.

"We will work with Ceredigion County Council and our other partners to ensure the tickets reach those who were meant to receive them and that they have a special time in the children’s village during the week.

"We will make no further public comment on this matter."