VILLAGERS in Aberporth have criticised plans to erect safety barriers in a beach car park to prevent vehicles from plunging over the cliff.

The move – proposed by Aberporth Village Hall Committee – follows an incident last November when pensioner Peter Boothroyd accidentally drove his car through railings, plummeting 40 feet onto Dolwen Beach.

Mr Boothroyd escaped with a cracked rib and broken sternum while his pet spaniel Kim, who fled the scene, was found on nearby Rhiw Rofft the following day after an extensive search by villagers.

But now plans to put up barriers to prevent a similar scenario have sparked criticism.

“I’m told they’re looking at two-foot high metal crash barriers of the type you see on motorways,” one resident told the Cambrian News.

“I feel such a move would be highly inappropriate – a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

“To me the Dolwen Beach car park is an important part of the village and what happened in November was an unfortunate freak accident which may never happen again.”

But Village Hall chairman Dai Ogilvie maintained that the committee – which owns the land where the two beach car parks are situated – had a duty to protect the public.

“The fact is that had that car gone over the edge during the summer months families on the beach below would probably have been killed,” he said.

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