Large numbers of visitors have travelled to mountains such as Pen y Fan recently. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

National park bosses in the Wales are urging the public to stick to the latest lockdown guidelines.

Authorities in the three national parks pleaded with visitors to stay at home and not attempt to travel to the areas over the festive break.

The national park authorities in Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire Coast issued a joint statement as Covid-19 cases continued to rise.

They said: “While Wales remains in lockdown, there are increasing fears that people will ignore Welsh Government regulations and attempt to access popular national park hotspots over the festive period, putting themselves and the park’s fragile rural communities at greater risk.

“The park authorities are reminding all UK residents to remember that Wales is in lockdown with only essential travel permitted. Therefore people are unable to drive to visit any of the Welsh national parks.”

Tegryn Jones, chief executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority said: “There is no doubt these are challenging times but all of our safety depends on people respecting the rules and doing the right thing.

“Right now this means staying at home to stay safe and only exercising from our doorsteps. If not, there is real concern that our rural health services will face increased pressure and social distancing measures will not be followed.

“We understand the vital role that our national parks have played this year in supporting people’s health and wellbeing, and how much people have benefitted from access to the outdoors. The time will come again when we can all enjoy the beauty and diversity of our Parks, and we very much look forward to welcoming you back when that time is right and it is safe for you and safe for our communities.”