FLINT’S Coastguard team was tasked with assisting police in patrols along Flintshire's coastline due to the "large amount" of people at coastal hotspots.

Working with North Wales Resilience Forum and North Wales Police, the coastguard team provided high visibility patrols between the Queensferry and Talacre Beach areas – focusing on beaches and coastal hotspots.

A team spokesman says that patrols witnessed a large amount of vehicles and members of public and have reported number of areas and incidents to the North Flintshire district policing team.

A spokesman for the Flint Coastguard Rescue Team said: “Roads and car parks are coned off for your safety, please do not park in between or move cones, or obstruct emergency access gateways. These are vital for Flint R.N.L.I Lifeboat should they be requested to launch. North Wales Police are acting accordingly and issuing fines when necessary.

“We understand current COVID-19 guidance can be confusing and frustrating, Wales is still in lock down and closed to visitors travelling over the border from England as we have encountered today.”

The team stress that, although you can now exercise more than once a day in Wales, driving to a coastal location to walk a dog is not classed as essential travel. They say that activities such as this should be kept as local to your primary home address as possible without the need to drive, even if you live locally.

The spokesman added: “We would like to thank members of the public who have approached us and asked us to clarify COVID-19 guidance and listened to our advice.

“Our message still remains the same, If you get into trouble call 999 and ask for the Coastguard and we will come to your aid. But coronavirus hasn’t gone away and we all need to follow the rules.

“Remember your choices might put people, including yourself and frontline responders, at risk. Take extra care in these extraordinary times.”