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A police chief has called for fines to be tripled for people who break coronavirus travel restrictions.
North Wales Police Commissioner of Crime Arfon Jones now wants the penalty increased to a range of £ 1,000 to £ 3,000, for repeat offenders.
The problem came into focus, after the confusion, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson unilaterally eased the closure in England, which Mr. Jones claimed was “total confusion”.
According to Mr. Jones, he and the other three Welsh police and crime commissioners were among the first to call for travel restrictions to be put in place, to “safeguard our communities”.
(Image: Arwyn Roberts / North Wales Live)
He has now issued a joint statement with Dafydd Llywelyn, his counterpart at Dyfed-Powys, saying that there should be a 300% increase in fines to deter people.
The statement read: “We are now again requesting the Government of Wales to increase the fine as a further deterrent for those seeking to make unnecessary travel within Wales.
“It is important that the police continue the current approach of involving, educating and encouraging people to comply with the law in Wales.
“But for those who do not listen, we must continue to apply the law, so we are asking for fines to start from £ 1,000 and increase to £ 3,000 for repeat offenders.”
On Sunday, Johnson announced that people in England could travel outside their local area to exercise.
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But there were concerns that it was not properly explained, that this only applied to England, and that travel restrictions were still in force in Wales.
The commissioner fears that it may provoke an influx of visitors to cross the border into North Wales and head for the coastal areas or Snowdonia, unaware that they are violating the law.
He believes that the UK Government should also pay for an awareness campaign, on increasing fines, to underline the message that people in England should not venture into North Wales without a legitimate reason.
Jones said: “The message here in North Wales and, in fact, in the rest of Wales is exactly the same, as the blockade extended for another three weeks. Travel alone is still essential.
“Our officers in North Wales will still stop cars and fine people who don’t have a good reason to be on the road.”
Jones fears the difference in rules with England, makes it difficult to tell the difference between people living in North Wales and those traveling across the border.
“Traveling to Wales for pleasure and exercise is still classified as a non-essential trip and increasing fines, in line with the increase in England, would be a good way to get this message home,” he said.
Dafydd Llywelyn added: “Dyfed Powys has been very proactive in targeting unnecessary travel with more than 1,000 tickets issued, half of which were delivered to people residing outside the force area.
“As Commissioner, I will make sure that this activity continues to protect our communities, primarily it’s about reducing the spread of the virus and not stopping people picnicking on the beaches.”
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