‘Don’t take the law into your own hands’ Anglesey community leader urges as tensions rise over holiday homes
A community leader has urged people not to take the law into their own hands after it emerged that a Liverpool family was asked by police to leave their Anglesey holiday home amid fears over their safety.
Police were called earlier this week after reports of “heightened tensions” in the village of Llandegfan, after it emerged that a family had arrived at their holiday home on Monday having travelled from the north west of England.
As the news spread on social media, local councillor Carwyn Jones decided to call police, who visited the family, and they decided to return home to Merseyside on Tuesday.
Cllr Jones, who says he felt compelled to act as he feared for the family’s safety, said he remains concerned that conflicting UK and Welsh Government lockdown guidelines could lead to more families believing they are free to travel to Wales.
“There’s been a marked increase in traffic on our roads over recent days with many reports of holiday homes being occupied on the island,” he said.
“The rules are clear: travelling to a holiday home is non-essential travel and is there for a reason, which is to stop the spread of the disease.
“But I’m gauging much tension and that feelings are running high.
“As a result, I would urge full restraint and for people not to take the law into their own hands. We have to leave this to the police.”
A North Wales Police spokesperson said: ”We attended an address in Llandegfan and on speaking to the family about concerns raised, they returned to Liverpool.”
Meanwhile, one member of the Senedd has raised concern that local authorities do not have the sufficient powers to prevent people from traveling to tourist locations and second homes in Wales.
Arfon MS Siân Gwenllian urged the Government to ban the use of second homes and to “tighten enforcement powers to protect public health”.
She asked the First Minister what further measures his Government will take to ensure that regulations set in Wales, which now differ from those in England, are respected.
In his response, First Minister Mark Drakeford said “Through our conversations with local authorities, my conclusion was that we couldn’t be sufficiently convinced that the problem is one where we tell people who are staying in their homes that they would have to return to their primary accommodation.
“Of course, we don’t want people to travel. We do tell people time and time again not to do it.
“In the current situation, where people in England are able to travel by car anywhere they want in England, well, that has created a new issue for us, and we have been making arrangements for that with the police forces this week.
“We are seeking to do everything we can and we are still having conversations with the local authorities and the police forces, and, if the situation changes and the case is strengthened for taking further steps, then we are entirely open to doing so.”
By Gareth Williams – Local Democracy Reporter
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