THE car park of a popular walking spot in Haverfordwest has been closed on the advice of police.

Withybush Woods car park was closed on Tuesday night by Pembrokeshire County Council following advice from police that it was being used for social gathering, in breach of Covid-19 measures.

Visitors arrived on Wednesday (April 15) to find the car park blocked by fencing although a council spokesman has said the path around the woods remains open.

“It was closed last night on the advice of police as it was being used for social gatherings,” he added.

Dyfed-Powys Police added that it did contact the county council to advise that the car park be closed off.

This was “due to the volume of cars/visitors travelling to the woods it was becoming too crowded and people walking were no longer able to safely adhere to social distancing advice".

“Some people were also travelling quite a distance to use the woods, adding to the pressure on the area.”

National Park and National Trust car parks in Pembrokeshire have also been closed during the pandemic, along with stretches of the coastal path and some Rights of Way public footpaths in the county.

Welsh Government legislation has made restrictions to limit the spread of coronavirus the main ones being – requiring people to stay at home, except for very limited purposes such as shopping for food, travelling to work, one form of exercise or health care; closing certain businesses and venues and stopping all gatherings of more than two people in public, except when they are members of the same household or for certain other specific exceptions.