26-05-2025
Pictured: Drivers caught out by high tides at Welsh beauty spot
Expensive cars and campervans are getting wrecked at a beauty spot on the Welsh coast as the tide catches out drivers.
Motorists are repeatedly running into trouble at Traeth y Greigddu, or Black Rock Sands, in North Wales where they are allowed to park on the sand.
Cars are routinely submerged in the sand and vulnerable to being swept out to sea by fast-flowing waters.
Five vehicles were trapped by the rising waters in April after parking on the shore, including a new Mercedes coupé and an Audi.
Council officials have warned drivers against leaving their cars on the beach at Morfa Bychan, a village near the resort town of Porthmadog in Gwynedd, after saying their officers were unable to rescue every trapped vehicle.
A Gwynedd council spokesman said: 'Where possible, during staffed hours, council officers will endeavour to recover any vehicles that get into such difficulties.
'However, in some cases it may be necessary to seek assistance from a third-party contractor, for which the driver or owner of the vehicle would be responsible for the associated costs.
'We welcome everyone who wishes to spend time on our beautiful beaches and coastal areas. However, we want everyone to enjoy themselves safely.'
The spokesman reminded visitors to Traeth y Greigddu to check the weather forecast and tide times before parking on the sand, and 'to treat the sea and coastline with respect'.
Gwynedd council advised drivers to park above the high-water mark and not to leave their cars unattended.
'Multiple signs are positioned along the beach at Morfa Bychan to warn users of the potential dangers and to indicate areas of the beach where vehicles are prohibited from accessing,' the council said in a statement.
'On occasion, the vehicles of those who have not heeded the warning signs can become trapped on the beach due to soft sand, having driven onto the sand banks, or because they have parked below the high-tide line.'
The beach was used as a backdrop for the Manic Street Preachers ' 1998 album cover This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours.
