Up to 40 cars towed away in Snowdonia after 'irresponsible' parking

Up to 40 cars are towed away by police in Snowdonia after ‘irresponsible and dangerous’ parking: Day-trippers dump their vehicles on grass behind crumbling stone walls and along narrow mountain roads over Easter break

• North Wales Police said almost 40 cars were parked dangerously on the roads
• Footage shows cars slapped with fines as people crowd the Welsh beauty spot 

Police are warning drivers to stop parking illegally after they were forced to tow up to 40 cars away from Snowdonia at the start of the Easter weekend.

Day-trippers who were looking to hike in the glorious Bank Holiday sun were resorting to dumping their cars on the grass behind crumbling stone walls and along narrow mountain roads in the popular North Wales spot.

North Wales Police said 29 vehicles parked near Llyn Ogwen – and another nine in Pen y Pass at the bottom of Snowdon – were removed on Good Friday.

The Welsh police force, who show no sign of halting their crackdown on illegal parking, said that drivers were risking lives through ‘irresponsible and dangerous’ parking at Snowdonia – also known as Eryri – where emergency vehicles could be blocked from getting through.

Videos on social media captured the scale of the parking chaos, with dozens of vehicles slapped with fines.

Videos shared on social media showed the scale of the illegal parking, with dozens of cars slapped with fines

Police are warning drivers to stop parking illegally at a popular north Wales beauty spot after they were forced to tow almost 40 cars away at the start of the Easter weekend

Meanwhile, further images shared online appeared to show that motorists had found more space for parking by driving through gaps in the wall. 

One user shared an image of a part-destroyed wall with several cars parked on grassland behind it. 

Snowdonia is the largest National Park in Wales, attracting four million visitors every year, with hundreds flocking there for the Bank Holiday. 

Traffic Wales said the A5 was closed near Ogwen Cottage outdoor pursuits centre on the same day due to the sheer number of cars that needed to be towed.

Parking in Snowdonia National Park will continue to be monitored over the Easter weekend and any vehicles found to be parked on the clearway, double yellows or causing an obstruction will be removed at the owner’s expense, North Wales Police said.

It added: ‘Whilst we appreciate people are visiting Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park to enjoy the weather and stunning scenery this bank holiday weekend, we are urging motorists to be responsible and think about where they park and to make full use of the park and ride facilities that are available.

‘We continue to work closely with our colleagues at Gwynedd Council and the Eryri National Park to help reduce the risk to walkers, cyclists and other road users.’

The action comes after the force had urged visitors to ‘park responsibly’ and avoid getting in the way of emergency vehicles.

On Thursday, Traffic Wales tweeted a picture of vehicles parked on both sides of a narrow mountain road.

Images shared online appeared to show day-trippers driving through a crumbling wall to park on the grass behind

Another user shared an image of a makeshift car park that motorists had started to form at Snowdonia 

North Wales Police, who show no sign of halting their crackdown on illegal parking, said that drivers were risking lives through ‘irresponsible and dangerous’ parking at the Eryri National Park (Snowdonia)

It warned: ‘Please park responsibly on the roads and avoid obstructing emergency vehicles. Blocking their way could lead to serious consequences.

‘Let’s be considerate of our fellow road users in need and make way for emergency services. Your cooperation can save lives!’

The row over parking comes after incensed locals were left frustrated by the lack of parking at the popular national park.

Motorists have been urged to use park-and-ride facilities instead after double yellow lines were painted along a stretch of the A5.

There is also a dedicated parking app which uses real-time data and sensors to indicate where there are free spaces. 

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