Beauty spot crowds ‘frustrating’ for officers

A POLICE boss has criticised the numbers of people who flocked to Welsh beauty spots over the weekend as the sun shone down.

Steve Treharne, the Police Federation in South Wales chairman, also called for restrictions on the selling of alcohol at off licences.

Some beach car parks had to be shut over the weekend, a large group was dispersed from Cardiff Bay and people were fined for breaking lockdown travel rules.

Alert level 4 restrictions have been in place since December 20, meaning you are only allowed to go out for essential reasons or local exercise.

Mr Treharne said it was “incredibly busy” over the weekend because of the good weather and he said that officers were facing greater hostility.

He told BBC Radio Wales: “Our colleagues are exhausted with the volumes of people who were out and about.

“It is incredibly frustrating for our officers and the community at large. We understand that people are incredibly frustrated, but the rules are quite clear that people shouldn’t be travelling for exercise.”

He also said there was an issue around people buying alcohol from off-licences. “There is the situation around off licences being allowed to open. We have got people congregating all over the force area in Penarth, Cardiff, Barry,” he said.

“People are purchasing alcohol, and that brings significant problems and creates a hostility towards officers and it is not really fair. Our officers do not draft the legislation, they have a job to do.

“People don’t like having these restrictions but it is not our officers who are making the legislation. They are just trying to protect our communities.”

The police representative also said it was “shameful” that officers were not getting priority for vaccinations.

He said: “We are incredibly angry about the lack of recognition of our colleagues on the front line.

“It is shameful. There is a moral obligation that we are putting these officers out in order to protect the public from this pandemic in risky situations.”