Family from Sussex who travelled five hours to Wales in lockdown escorted back by police

A family who travelled more than five hours to Wales despite its lockdown were escorted back by police.

The English group were spotted driving across the border from England into Wales during the travel ban.

Officers say they travelled for more than five hours for a non-essential reason despite being aware of the current national lockdown in Wales.

Dyfed-Powys Police stopped the family in the early hours of Friday morning on the A40 near Whitland in Carmarthenshire.

The family drove for more than five hours from Sussex into Wales despite its national lockdown (Getty Images)

The force then shared a post on Twitter following their successful intervention with the hashtag #longdrivehome, Wales Online reports.

A spokesperson said: "During the early hours, a family from Sussex were stopped on the A40, Whitland. Despite being aware of the national lockdown, they travelled over five hours for a non essential reason.

"The occupants were suitably advised and escorted out of the county."

The family were escorted out of the Welsh county after they were spotted crossing the border in the travel ban (Getty Images)

Wales is currently in a fire-break lockdown until November 9 meaning everyone has been asked to stay home and only undertake essential travel.

From October, the Welsh Government introduced new restrictions on people from areas of the UK with high rates of Covid-19 coming to Wales without a reasonable excuse.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said this was to "prevent people who live in areas where there are higher Covid infection rates across the UK from travelling to Wales and bringing the virus with them."

But the decision has been criticised by some, including the Welsh leader of the Police Federation of England and Wales Mark Bleasdale.

Mr Bleasdale said the ban was "unenforceable" because of challenges in identifying where people are coming from and where they are going to.