Covid: Cardiff Bay crowds 'cat-called' women

Some men among the crowds who descended on Cardiff Bay at the weekend were cat-calling women and intimidating people, a woman who lives nearby has said.

Over the Easter bank holiday weekend hundreds gathered despite Covid restrictions and a dispersal order for the area remains in force.

Only six people from two different households can meet outdoors.

Becca Head, 23, said men had been intimidating people, creating a "difficult situation".

She told BBC Radio Wales with Claire Summers: "Usually there's so many places people can go - at the moment they don't have those pubs, bars and restaurants to go to when it's sunny so those crowds go outside.

"You feel that you don't want to go for a walk around Mermaid Quay when that's your home. It's a really difficult situation."

It led her to avoid staying outside: "On Friday I stayed home, I did go out on Saturday afternoon just for a walk around the barrage with a friend... there were lots of people drinking really heavily, there were a lot of men cat-calling and intimidating people, it was not a nice atmosphere."

She said she got an Uber home by 17:00 "because of how bad it was" rather than take the short walk.

"It's not a nice place to be at the moment," she said.

"I felt scared. I felt like I was going to be followed and shouted at. I'm used to that when on a night out in town, but not in my home in Cardiff Bay."

Barriers have also been put across the steps to the Senedd, but Ms Head said this was not a solution: "The barriers are around two of the biggest seating areas in the bay.

"If they weren't up, people would be able to sit down and socially distance, but what they've done is made a forced crowd, they'd usually spread out."

Over the weekend, officers arrested a 20-year-old man for a public order offence, a 22-year-old woman was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and possession of a Class A substance and a 35-year-old-man was also arrested for possession of a Class A substance.

Illegal partygoers were also seen urinating on a memorial to merchant seamen in the area.

At the weekend, Cardiff council leader Huw Thomas said people who took part should be "deeply ashamed of themselves".

He said it a was a "clear abuse of the rules", adding: "I worry about a spike in cases after this."

South Wales Police said the Section 35 dispersal order for Cardiff Bay remained in force and would continue to do so until further notice.