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Police have turned visitors away from the Brecon Beacons after hikers drove up to 200 miles to hike through the snowy hills of Wales in defiance of Covid restrictions.
Although Wales is locked up, Dyfed-Powys police said a man drove from Hertfordshire in England to climb Pen-y-Fan, the highest peak in southern Britain. Hertfordshire is under the level 4 English restrictions of “stay at home”.
A minibus of people from different households arrived from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, a journey of approximately 80 miles that would have taken two and a half hours.
Hundreds of people arrived on Monday and Tuesday and the force issued notices of fixed fines for some infractions, although many people turned around after seeing police officers in the area.
Alert level 4 restrictions, a national lockdown, went into effect in Wales on December 20. According to the measures, travel is only allowed with a reasonable excuse, such as care or work responsibilities.
People can exercise as often as they want, but they must start and finish from home. They should only exercise alone or with a member of their household or bubble of support and / or a caregiver.
Insp Andrew Williams of the Dyfed-Powys Police Specialized Operations Team said: “We are conducting high visibility patrols at Storey Arms [a popular parking spot for the mountain] and interact with people to remind them of their responsibilities to adhere to the Welsh government’s closure restrictions. “
We are currently in Brecon conducting high visibility patrols. Large numbers of people are visiting the area to climb Penyfan. This is not an essential trip. Agents participate and educate and, when necessary, enforce restrictions. #Stay at home pic.twitter.com/G2IOKK27SC
– Carmarthenshire Highway Police 🏴 (@CarmsRPU) December 29, 2020
“Fixed penalty notices have been and will be issued for those flagrant breaches where compromise fails, but the vast majority of people are listening to advice and when they are showing up and seeing [police] vehicles at the site, they are turning around and heading home. “
The force also pointed out that if any of those visiting the mountains had a car accident and had Covid, they could put perhaps three emergency services teams, 10 people, at risk.
Powys county council said Wales was “not open” for visitors to travel from other parts of the UK, unless for essential reasons.
Cllr Graham Breeze, head of the corporate governance, participation and regulatory services portfolio, said he was “shocked” to see large numbers of people traveling to the Brecon Beacons.
South Wales police said they had received “numerous reports” of crowds on beaches and other beautiful places. Warning notices had been left on some cars.
The Welsh government said in a statement: “Exercise is important for physical and mental health, but while Wales is at Alert Level 4, it must start and end from home. Long trips should not be undertaken unless absolutely necessary. “
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