Police closed a north Wales road and towed away 40 cars that were parked illegally near Eryri (Snowdonia). Highway teams were filmed towing cars away and a number had fixed penalty notices attached to the windscreen.
Fines were issued after pictures show a long line of vehicles ignoring the double yellow lines on the side of a busy Eryri road.
In an unprecedented move, police closed a stretch of the A5 in Dyffryn Ogwen in order to remove a large number of vehicles that had parked on the double yellow lines, North Wales Live reported.
The decision was made after dozens of fines were handed out earlier in the day to visitors who had ignored the stern warnings issued by Traffic Wales and North Wales Police in the run up to the busy Easter weekend.
A couple of hours before the road was closed, footage emerged of a long line of vehicles illegally parked on the yellow lines by Llyn Ogwen with fixed penalty notices attached to their windows.
As the situation showed no signs of improving, police eventually decided to close a stretch of the road altogether just after 4pm. Visitors were urged to avoid the area while the road was closed, with diversions put in place towards Betws-y-Coed.
A spokesperson for North Wales Police said the road was closed "due to disruption caused by inconsiderate parking".
The A5 has long been plagued by people parking up on the roadside to access the mountains. The issue is particularly acute at weekends and during school holidays as visitors flock to the area, with people encouraged to use park and ride services during these periods.
On Saturday morning, a statement from police said: "Whilst we appreciate people are visiting Eryri National Park to enjoy the weather and stunning scenery this Bank Holiday weekend, we are urging motorists to be responsible and think about where they park and to make full use of the park and ride facilities that are available.
"The irresponsible and dangerous parking we witnessed in Pen y Pass and Llyn Ogwen yesterday (Good Friday) not only risks lives, but also prevents emergency vehicle access."
The statement added that parking in other parts of Eryri National Park will continue to be monitored over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Any further vehicles found to be parked on the clearway, double yellows or causing an obstruction will also have their vehicle removed at their own expense
Visitors are being encouraged to use park and ride services. More information can be found here.
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