Despite policing teams in Pembrokeshire reporting that roads were ‘eerily quiet’ over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend with most people listening to the current guidelines - there were a few who tried to flout the restrictions on non-essential travel with some using some very dubious excuses!

Police and road policing units launched an Easter crackdown targeting those attempting to breach the lockdown laws by heading to beauty spots and beaches over the warm Easter weekend with officers out in force again conducting high visibility patrols on prominent routes into the county carrying out stop checks, with motorists targeted on the A40 at St Clears, one of the main routes into Pembrokeshire.

A Welsh chief constable had reported in the lead up to the Easter weekend that some visitors were attempting to travel along B-roads at night to evade police.

Dyfed-Powys Police officers worked alongside Pembrokeshire County Council staff to carry out checks and re-inforce the message to ‘stay home, save lives’.

Teams were stationed at major and alternative routes to ensure compliance with the lockdown rules, with mobile patrols also in operation.

Some motorists still chose to ignore the rules though. On Easter Monday a couple were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices by police conducting stop checks on the A40 after they had driven to the area from Birmingham and were heading to Milford Haven, a round trip of around 430 miles claiming that they were picking up a motorbike they had agreed to purchase.Officers stopped the black Seat car with a female driver and male passenger heading west at Penblewin roundabout, near Narberth, shortly before midday.According to the Pembrokeshire Roads Policing Unit, the couple had no paperwork indicating that they were picking up the motorcycle, nor did they have a contact for the seller - instead claiming that the vehicle had been left for them in a shed.There was also no sign of protective gear in their car which would suggest that one of them was planning on driving the 215 miles back east on a motorcycle.“This is clearly not an essential journey - fixed penalty notices issued and vehicle turned around,” stated the Pembrokeshire Roads Policing Unit on Twitter.

One driver admitted to police officers that he was ‘chancing his luck’ when his vehicle was stopped on the A477 in the early hours with the driver travelling over 200 miles from Manchester claiming he was heading to Ireland to collect a dog!

Police said that nine fixed penalty notices for non-essential travel had been issued to the occupants of three vehicles following stop checks at Llanteg.

The nine people, who were not in convoy and were stopped 15 minutes apart, had travelled from Aberdare, Bristol, and Weston-Super-Mare to go crab-fishing in Tenby! All vehicles were turned round and the occupants sent home.

Vehicles that had travelled from as far as London, Essex and Hereford were also turned around over the course of the weekend.

One driver and two passengers were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices after they were caught ‘taking a spin’ down from Neath.

The vehicle was stopped at Kilgetty, where the driver stated he was heading home to Fishguard, but it was soon ascertained by police officers that the motorist had actually come for a spin from Neath, having picked his two passengers up from Ammanford en-route.

An electric scooter rider also broke lockdown rules taking to the streets drunk on Sunday before being stopped by the Tenby Neighbourhood Policing Team and being dealt with for being guilty of committing a non-essential journey.

“Electric scooters being used on the road need insurance. You must also be sober!” they stated on Twitter, before going onto say that the person had been charged with drink-driving, and having no insurance and reported Non Essential Journey.”

Officers also stopped a drink-drive motorist stating that - “It may be acceptable to carry out an essential shop, but it is not acceptable to drive there whilst three times over the legal alcohol limit!” A drug-driver was also stopped in the Hubberston area, over 50 miles away from where the vehicle was registered to.

Cannabis could be smelt within the vehicle by officers, and the male duly provided a positive roadside drugs swab, and blood samples were taken from the man whilst in custody.

Even though vehicle stop-checks found some breaking restrictions, it was pleasing to report that the Bank Holiday appeared to have passed without any reports of public gatherings in seaside resorts such as Tenby and Saundersfoot over the Bank Holiday.

A massive thank you to everyone for staying within the guidelines in Tenby today” - Tweeted the Special Constabulary for Dyfed-Powys on Sunday.

“6 hours of patrolling on foot and hardly anyone about all day despite bright sunshine. We can do this!”

On Monday Pembrokeshire Roads Policing Unit stated on its Twitter account: “As the bank holiday draws to a close, we’d like to take this opportunity to simply say ‘Thank You’ - to each and every one of you. The support and well wishes we’ve received on not only this account, but also whilst conducting stop checks, has been second to none.

“We will be continuing with our stop checks and high visibility patrols, in order to not only protect the NHS, but also this corner of Wales, that we are lucky to call home.”