Covid lockdown: 'Race' drivers fined for breaking rules

A group of men who ignored local lockdown rules to go "car racing" have been hit with penalty fines.

The group had travelled from Caerphilly to near Brynamman in the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Caerphilly is under extra Covid restrictions, making it illegal to leave the county without good reason.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the four men refused to co-operate with officers over lockdown, and were all handed fines.

The Carmarthenshire Roads Policing Unit had come across the group of racers congregating for a "rallying-type event".

"Officers tried to engage with the group, who had travelled from Caerphilly, and explained several times that were not allowed to be in this area," said Insp Andy Williams.

"After lengthy attempts at asking them to leave and make their way back to their home addresses, they were still refusing to co-operate."

It comes as a number of cases where fixed penalty Covid fines were not paid headed to court in the force area.

Hearings at Llanelli Magistrates' Court have included people who drove over 100 miles from Newport to Pembroke Dock while travel was banned, and others who had broken rules by entering people's homes at the height of lockdown.

In two cases, people were ordered to pay more than £800 in fines and costs, after failing to pay the initial fixed penalty notice.