A storm is brewing in a scenic Welsh seaside island over claims Plaid Cymru councillors want to prevent English families from moving to the area. Councillors in Anglesey have used a council meeting to raise concerns that people living in council houses in England have swapped homes via Facebook so they can move to the area.

Speaking during a council meeting, representatives have raised concerns that an influx of people from England could cause irreparable damage to Welsh language, heritage and culture. The fears have led to calls for action to be taken to limit the ability of people to swap homes via social media. During the meeting, Cllr Arfon Wyn said: “There are a lot of homes still empty in Aberffraw, that are meant to be rented out to people who really need homes.

“One thing that concerns me, is that people in the nice areas on the coast, so to speak, can swap homes with people in towns in England on Facebook.

“Especially in my area, where there are nice places to retire to and so on, the impact on the Welsh language can be significant.”

According to the rules, a council house or housing association tenant can swap homes with other social tenants through the mutual exchange scheme.

The concerns have been echoed by residents who fear that an influx of English people to the area could fuel nationalist sentiments and erode a strong sense of Welsh culture.

Dog walker Emlyn Jones also told The Mail: “A lot of Welsh people can’t afford to buy houses where they’re from as the English have come in with more money.

“We don’t want more English people here.”

Tensions are not limited to those seeking to move to the area permanently, with the visits of tourists also provoking the ire of many locals.

Whilst tourism provides around 20% of all employment in the area, the influx of around two million people annually has angered locals who feel that not enough has been done to protect residents from the consequences of high visitor numbers.

Earlier this year, a popular tourist spot saw anti-English graffiti bearing phrases such as “F**k your second home,” and “Death to Airbnb.”