A coach trip that is due to travel from a locked down area of England and arrive in Tenby today (Wednesday) has been branded as ‘irresponsible’

The coach trip from Bolton involving 30 holiday makers arrived in the seaside town of Porthcawl on Monday. However, due to the cancellation of an Elvis event in the town, and the imposition of a local lockdown preventing non-essential travel, the coach was turned away from the Seabank Hotel on Porthcawl’s seafront on Monday, and is expected to arrive in Tenby on Wednesday (September 23) after being transferred to a sister hotel.

Furious Pembrokeshire residents have contacted MS for Mid and West Eluned Morgan to share their concerns that the loose nature of Covid-19 restrictions in England poses a public health issue for holiday destinations in Wales.

According to Bolton Council, tighter lockdown restrictions there still allow for people to travel outside of the Borough: “You can still go on holiday outside of your area, or visit shops etc, but you can only do this with people you live with (or have formed a support bubble with).”

The latest public health information shows that Bolton’s Covid infection rate being nearly 20 times higher than in Pembrokeshire.

Eluned Morgan said: “Wales has successfully reopened its tourism sector in recent months, with businesses and visitors aware of the challenges in minimising the spread of Covid-19.

“Where local lockdowns have recently been introduced in place in parts of south and east Wales, the Labour Welsh Government has ensured that alongside restrictions on meeting people, reduced opening times for pubs and restaurants there are also limits on non-essential travel.

“In Wales, that includes not going on holiday. I think we’ve got the rules right in Wales, limiting social contact is the clearest way to preventing the virus spreading,” she continued, stating that she has been in touch with Public Health Wales, Dyfed Powys Police and Welsh Government regarding the coach trip which highlights the discrepancies in the fight to reduce the spread of Coronavirus across the United Kingdom.

Eluned continued: “Not only will those seeking to travel to Pembrokeshire have left one lockdown area in England, they may arrive in Tenby having left another too. That is simply irresponsible. I am calling on the holiday operator Alfa Travel to do the right thing.

“Instead of continuing with the holiday, they should be seeking to ensure the safety of their hotel staff and customers by returning to Bolton and offering a visit at a later date. “They must also look at future holiday trips to destinations in Wales and make their intending customers aware of the changing nature of the virus and how it is being dealt with here.

“We must be sensible about this and understand that travelling at the current time presents all sorts of uncertainty but keeping people safe is the most important thing.”

Pembrokeshire County Council have confirmed that this matter has been referred to the police.

“There are no restrictions to stop people leaving Bolton to go on holiday other than they should be doing so with people with whom they live (or in a ‘bubble’ with),” said a spokesperson for PCC.

“There were no current restrictions on the bus load of persons leaving Porthcawl either at the time, and nothing to stop them from being in Tenby. 

“We have also referred this matter to our enforcement team and the Neighbourhood Policing Team for them to continue to monitor premises in Tenby to ensure that they have adequate Covid risk assessments in place and comply with the current regulations as they apply to Pembrokeshire.”