Snowdonia shuts car parks amid police crackdown on lockdown rule breakers

Offenders can be fined £60 for first breach and £120 for second offence

Lockdown rules say people should exercise as near to home as possible (Getty Images)

National park bosses in Snowdonia have shut all car parks to try to curb the number of people breaking lockdown rules and visiting the area.

The decision was made to protect the region’s community and health services as coronavirus cases continue to rise in some of Wales’s most remote areas.

Non-essential travel is currently banned in Wales’ lockdown, yet North Wales Police tweeted to say they have continued to turn away people trying to walk up Snowdon. Visitors have come from  as far away as London and Milton Keynes. 

The national park has said they want to emphasise the idea that exercise should take place near home. They are also encouraging people to avoid potentially risky activities that could put yet more pressure on the emergency services.  

The chairman of the Snowdonia National Park Authority, Wyn Ellis Jones, said: "Because of the high volume of people seen ignoring government regulations in Snowdonia since Christmas, we have decided to take urgent measures to support the Welsh government’s message to avoid any unnecessary travel.”

Nigel Harrison, temporary North Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable, said the force would not allow "blatant breaches of the legislation" to continue.

Those who break Covid rules can be fined £60 for a first offence and £120 for a second breach of rules.

Mr Harrison added: “It is not acceptable to pick and choose the law you follow and the laws you don’t.”

It comes as Snowdonia National Park wardens have received abuse from rule breakers.

Police officers in rural Wales have also had to be diverted from their usual work in an attempt to prevent people from breaking lockdown and visiting Snowdonia.

They have also had to remove cars parked inappropriately on roads near the Pen-y-Pass car park as it was too busy to accommodate all vehicles.

Assistant head of the environment department at Gwynedd council, Gareth Jones, said they are "very conscious" about the potential for a rise in Covid-19 cases in the area.

Mr Jones pointed out that people should “follow the current guidelines to avoid unnecessary travel.”

He added: “By playing our part each and every one of us will assist in the effort to halt the spread of the virus so we can return to a normal way of life as soon as possible”.