Cardiff couple fined for travelling to holiday home in Pembrokeshire during lockdown

A couple form Cardiff have been fined for breaking lockdown rules and travelling to their holiday home in Pembrokeshire.

The pair were stopped by police on Wednesday 15 near Carmarthen, where they told officers they were travelling because their caravan had developed a leak.

The car was then spotted again half an hour later near Freshwater East Beach.

Both were issued with fines and escorted out of the area by police.

The ban on all non-essential travel in the UK is set to continue as the lockdown was extended for "at least" another three weeks.

Read more:

The car the couple were travelling in was filled with clothes and belongings, suggesting a long-term stay.

After they were initially stopped by the police, officers explained to them the current regulations around essential travel and encouraged the driver to turn around and head home.

The pair did not follow that advice and so were issued fines when spotted again near the beach.

Inspector Andrew Williams said it was not acceptable for people to ignore police advice. He said, “We have been working hard over the last three weeks to engage with potential visitors and explain that holidays to Pembrokeshire – or anywhere else – are not allowed at present.

“It beggars belief that - despite daily coverage of the coronavirus crisis and the dangers it presents to people’s lives - some people are still acting in such a selfish and irresponsible way.”

Roads have been left empty as most people obey the lockdown rules. Credit: Traffic Wales

Police have the power to issue fines to those flouting the stay-at-home rules and people can even end up in court if those fines are not paid. These strict measures are in place to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Over the Easter weekend, Dyfed Powys Police pulled over another couple travelling more than 100 miles from Newport to Pembrokeshire.

The National Park in the Brecon Beacons has had to shut for the first time in nearly twenty years in a bid to discourage visitors. Parody posters urging people not to visit other tourist hotspots have also been circulated on social media alongside the hashtag #DontVisitWales.