Six men fined for travelling 120 miles from Coventry to Brecon Beacons for illegal off-roading
Six men have been fined by police for travelling to the Brecon Beacons from Coventry during lockdown to go off-roading on motorcycles.
The men were issued Covid-19 fixed penalty notices for travelling more than 100 miles from their homes to Wales.
It comes after people local to the area recently raised concerns about quad bikes being used.
Dyfed-Powys Police, South Wales Police and Gwent Police, along with Brecon Beacons National Park wardens, worked together over the weekend to try and target any illegal off-roaders.The operation saw 29 officers and staff patrol land around Trefil Quarry.
The incident is the latest in a number of coronavirus-related fines in the South Wales area.
Despite ongoing restrictions, hundreds of people were fined over the weekend for breaking the 'stay at home' rules currently in place throughout Wales which remains under an ‘Alert Level 4’ lockdown.
South Wales Police said many people were flocking to beauty spots due to the warm weather seen across large parts of the country on Saturday and Sunday.
Among those, three people were fined for non-essential travel to Penarth Pier and two people were caught on their way from Newport for a day at a Swansea beach.
More than 100 people attended a house party in Cardiff and three women were caught having their hair dyed in a car park.
Inspector Gwyndaf Bowen, from Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “Operation Rover took place in response to community concerns regarding quad bikes.
“Using criminal, road traffic and public health regulations, we issued both advice to members of the public and prosecutions to those found breaking the law."He added: “Dyfed-Powys Police will continue with similar operations in different locations throughout the Brecon Beacons National Park as we work to tackle this issue.”
It is illegal to ride quad bikes, three-wheeled bikes or trail bikes, and some other two-wheeled vehicles in public parks or on publicly-owned land without permission from the local authority."
Police say repeated off-roading could see vehicles being seized and potentially destroyed with further fines and court appearances.
Julian Atkins, the chief executive of Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, said: “Not only is the noise a disruption of the tranquillity, but also triggers a loss of habitat and displacement of species such as ground-nesting birds."
PCSO Billy Dunne said: “My advice to anyone planning on off-roading would be to check it’s legal before you set off.
“You can use your vehicle on byways open to all traffic, or green lanes, however, you must have correct insurance, MOT and tax, as well as correct sized number plates.
“You cannot drive on common land, public access land, land which is not part of a road, forestry tracks, bridleways, footpaths or restricted byways.”
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