WALKERS, dog walkers, runners and cyclists have spoken of their shock at the discovery of a series of illegal traps at a Lampeter beauty spot.

Several people have reported finding a number of wooden boards containing several four to six-inch nails concealed among twigs and leaves at Upper Forest.

While the source of the traps remains a mystery, the matter has been reported to local police as well as Natural Resources Wales, which manages the woodland.

The alarm was raised when teacher, Elen Page, spotted a trap whilst running along a woodland trail.

“I just happened to look down as I was about to step on it and I stopped myself just in time,” she said.

“Someone had put it across the path deliberately – and these paths are used by walkers and cyclists.

“It’s a little bit annoying to think that someone has put them there with the intention of hurting someone. The consequences could be frightening.

“My gut feeling is that someone is trying to stop the BMX and mountain bike riders who use the trail.

“Why I just don’t know. They’re only a handful of local boys having a little bit of harmless fun.”

Fellow resident Grenville Evans said his teenage sons, Sion and Dafydd, were among a group of young cyclists who found several traps.

“It’s frightening enough to think these things would puncture their tyres,” he said, “but anyone falling on those six-inch nails would be seriously injured or even killed.

Local county councillor Hag Harris is among locals who have expressed alarm.

“Obviously we are very worried with these events,” he said. “The traps could cause serious injury to anyone treading or falling on them."

Steve Cresswell, operational resource manager at NRW, said they had been made aware of the problem, staff had been out to investigate and the police had been alerted.

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