1,710 lockdown fines issued

More than 1,700 fines were issued by Dyfed-Powys Police for breaching ravel restrictions during lockdown, the force has revealed.

And in one May weekend alone, more than 1,000 cars were turned away from ‘waterfall country’ near Ystradfallte in the south of the county.

Checkpoints were regularly set up around the Welshpool and Newtown areas (pictured) and we regularly reported how the local officers were stopping motorists, with a third of those fined said to be from within the force area itself.

“Our officers have maintained a consistent approach to engage with the public at every opportunity and explain the regulations, with enforcement only as a last resort,” said Deputy Chief Constable Claire Parmenter.

“This educational approach became even more important as differences emerged between the rules around travel in England and Wales. We have worked hard to ensure key workers were able to get to and from work with as little disturbance as possible, while reducing the amount of unnecessary drivers on the roads.

“While largely people have listened to advice from the government, unfortunately we had some instances of people determined to flout the rules.”

Travel restrictions were officially liftedlast week and popular beauty spots reported a steady flow of visitors over the weekend.