People who breach Covid Level 4 restrictions are increasingly likely to face fines, North Wales Police have said.

The warning comes following a busy weekend for officers who reported a substantial amount of people for breaching restrictions on non-essential travel.

Although North Wales Police will continue to apply the 4 E approach of engaging, explaining and encouraging - only then enforcing, the force will instruct officers to issue fines more quickly to anyone committing obvious, wilful and serious breaches.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Harrison said: “We all know the law by now and know exactly what the right thing to do. There’s no escaping the fact that people have been told to stay home.

“The restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus are there to protect us all. Every single one of us - and it is vital that everyone takes personal responsibility by staying home unless they have a valid reason not to be there.

“Now is not the time to head up into the mountains or to enjoy scenic drives in the countryside.

"Exercise should start and finish from home – unless you have specific mobility issues where you can drive a short distance. Nobody should be travelling unless absolutely essential.

“As police officers our first duty is to preserve life. The critical situation our NHS colleagues are facing and the way the new virus variant moves through communities, means we can no longer spend our time explaining or encouraging people to follow rules where they are wilfully and dangerously breaching.

“If people continue to break the rules, putting themselves, their families and their communities at greater risk, our officers are ready to act robustly.

“It is up to us all to do the right thing.

"People should not think of ways of circumventing the law and the police should not be needed to reinforce common sense.

"Policing continues regardless of the pandemic with officers responding to hundreds of emergency calls, searching for missing people, responding to calls in relation to violence in the home, dealing with drink and drug drivers and responding to road traffic collisions. Policing will continue to do our bit, but everyone else needs to do theirs. Unless it is for a valid reason please stay home.”