Easter day trippers slammed for parking 'dangerously and inconsiderately' in Snowdonia

Police have hit out at Easter day trippers for parking "dangerously and inconsiderately" while visiting Snowdonia.

North Wales Police said it is causing traffic issues and urged drivers travelling along the A5 in the Nant Francon area to take care.

Officers said it is particularly bad by Ogwen Lake, a popular spot for tourists, and urged visitors to "park sensibly and appropriately at beauty spots".

Park-and-ride buses, towing away, and traffic bollards have been used to try and stop the parking issues in the popular national park.

No vacancy signs have been displayed at many guest houses at Llandudno and other seaside resorts.

The national park authority has made it a requirement to pre-book parking in designated car parks, after the boom in staycations caused parking issues throughout the pandemic.

Those affected by the Easter weekend parking issues took to social media to express their frustration.

Many felt any cars that are parked irresponsibly should be towed away.

One commented: "Please can we do something. I travelled home from Betws y Coed to Bethesda on Good Friday. Due to the parking I had drive on [the] wrong side of the road for part and nearly had [an] accident."

Another said: "Some of them were there before 9am and clearly could of parked properly in a designated place, just laziness."

Residents of Snowdonia became nervous about the Easter holidays, after recent warm weather left some villages blighted by abuse, irresponsible parking and even human waste.

The national park already had high visitor numbers before Covid, with car parks often nearing full capacity, but authorities say its popularity exploded in 2021 mainly due to social media trends.