No Ombudsman investigation is to take place into a recently elected Pembrokeshire County Councillor following a complaint of a claimed breach of the code of conduct.

Billy Shaw, won the Fishguard North-East ward seat for Plaid Cymru back in February following a byelection called after the death of Cllr Jordan Ryan last November.

Cllr Shaw was reported to the Ombudsman after attending his first full council meeting in March, describing the complaint as “a waste of taxpayers’ money” and “a sad attempt at stifling the right to my freedom of expression”.

“On March 5 I attended my first County Council meeting as the newly elected councillor for Fishguard NE,” said Cllr Shaw.

“Outside was a group, Solidarity with Palestine who had a petition to be heard on Agenda Item No 5 [of that meeting], ‘Disinvestment in Companies profiting from Genocide’.

“A ‘member of the public’ complained that these people were supporting ‘Palestine Action’ and that I had breached the Code of Conduct relating to being a councillor by being pictured with them and this report was sent to the Ombudsman on March 10.

“On Thursday I found out that this was not being investigated by the Ombudsman, as under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights I am allowed the freedom of expression in who I want to support and there was no evidence that they supported ‘Palestine Action’ or indeed did I by being pictured alongside them.”

Cllr Shaw said there were two lessons following the complaint: “It was a waste of the Ombudsman’s time, as it was a petty and vindictive attempt by this individual who has a long history of trolling anyone especially those in public office with a left-wing viewpoint. The ECHR protected my rights to freedom of expression, remove the ECHR and you remove that freedom.”