POLICE are stepping up patrols from today to deter people from travelling to Wepre Park for recreation and excise during the current lockdown.

Flintshire Council has closed the car park after a number of people from outside the area were found to have made a journey to the park.

North Flintshire Police say that a number of fines have been issued in recent days in regard to coronavirus regulations breaches at the park.

Support Sergeant for Flintshire North Matt Subacchi said: "A number of people have been reported there for breach of covid regulations. The council has closed the park but there is a suggestion that breaches are still going on so we are going to put some extra patrols in there.

"We will start by giving advice, but enforcement is a possibility."

"We want to get the message across that people have to follow the regulations. We don't want to issue fines, but where we find people breaching regulations we will have to consider that possibility.

"Please abide by the regulations to protect yourselves and others."

The car park at Wepre has been closed by Flintshire Council in line with the alert level four measures in place in Wales, along with those at Waun y Llyn on Hope Mountain and Moel Famau.

The local authority’s deputy leader Carolyn Thomas urged members of the public to stick to the guidelines to reduce transmission levels.

She said: “For several weeks extensive national, regional and local messaging has made it clear that people should stay at home and not travel unless it is for an essential reason such as work or health

“Travelling for exercise is not classed as an essential reason and exercise should start and end at home.

“We were hoping to keep the car parks open under level 4 regulations for local people with mobility issues but the selfish and thoughtless actions of people disregarding the rules has meant we have had to close them on the advice of the police.”