2 days ago
People are risking their lives at one of Wales' most famous beauty spots
People are risking their lives at one of Wales' most famous beauty spots
Jumping from an historic bridge in Betws-y-Coed is a cherished local tradition but in recent years the practice has been discouraged
Police have been patrolling following reports of anti-social behaviour
(Image: NWP Conwy & Denbigh Rural)
A tourist destination in Eryri (Snowdonia) is witnessing a resurgence of tombstoning connected to an arrival of "unpleasant" visitors. Leaping from a historic bridge in Betws-y-Coed represents a treasured local custom but in recent years the activity has been discouraged.
North Wales Police constables have started patrolling the vicinity around Pont-y-Pair bridge, a road crossing over the Afon Llugwy constructed more than 500 years ago. This follows concerns that gangs of young troublemakers have been "causing havoc" on the bridge and behaving in a "hostile" manner whilst leaping 20ft into the waters beneath.
Because of the health and safety dangers, at one stage the location was subject to a Police Public Space Protection Order. A CCTV camera was fitted with jumpers threatened with penalties up to £100. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
However the camera is no longer operational and the local byelaw has lapsed. Last week a multi-agency meeting was conducted in the Conwy village to discuss "social disorder and bridge jumping" - and to determine if restrictions can once more be enforced.
Betws-y-Coed Community Council acknowledged the tombstoning tradition has been continuing since "time in memoriam", reports North Wales Live.
However, in a statement, the council said: "In recent times there has been a noticeable marked shift in behaviour and the characters it attracts, which contributes to social disorder, drug usage and alcohol-related anti-social behaviour."
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Last month, chaos ensued when a large group of young visitors descended on the village, causing disruption and leaving litter in their wake. The local council described the incident as an "unpleasant experience", marked by threatening behaviour as the youngsters jumped into the river and blocked the bridge to traffic.
During a recent meeting, staff from Natural Resources Wales recounted similar incidents at Llyn Geirionydd near Trefriw and the Miner's Bridge near Betws-y-Coed. They reported groups of young people wild camping, lighting fires, and openly using alcohol and recreational drugs.
Pont-y-Pair bridge in Betws-y-Coed
(Image: Meirion/Wiki)
The favourable weather this summer is believed to have spurred an increase in bridge jumping, an activity not without its dangers. A recent episode of BBC's SOS: Extreme Rescues featured a 24 year old man who sustained serious injuries after jumping from Pont-y-Pair.
The situation was particularly perilous as the Coastguard helicopter was unable to winch a stretcher into the narrow gorge. With other mountain rescue teams engaged elsewhere, it fell to a small team of six volunteers to transport him across the fast-flowing river on a stretcher.
Conwy Council has committed to investigating existing community byelaws to determine if any can be applied to bridge jumping, and to identify who holds enforcement powers.
Such is the level of concern within the village that the community council is willing to utilise its own funds to find a solution.
They stated: "The community council will obtain a cost for the installation of CCTV which will be live monitored at the patrol room.
"If the CCTV camera was to be replaced and live monitored, the police would respond to an alert from the camera control room staff."
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This proposal will be on the agenda at the forthcoming community council meeting next month.
