Police in North Wales have announced they will seize off-road vehicles on the spot as incidents of anti-social behaviour and environmental damage continue to rise. Under new legislation introduced this year, officers no longer need to issue warnings before confiscating vehicles used to damage protected habitats.
PC Eryl Lloyd, a member of North Wales Police’s rural crime team seconded to Natural Resources Wales (NRW), issued a stark warning to drivers engaging in illegal off-roading: “It’s a long walk home.” Lloyd confirmed that his team has observed a definite increase in such incidents, with reports now including e-bikes alongside traditional 4x4s and motorbikes.
The crackdown follows the conviction of three men in August who caused irreversible harm to the Berwyn Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). John Robinson, Michael Williams, and Joseph Hodgson drove a seven-vehicle convoy from Liverpool to the moorland range, where videos shared on TikTok showed them destroying ancient peatlands.
Robinson and Williams were each fined over £2,000 and disqualified from driving for two months, while Hodgson was ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation and banned from entering the Berwyn SSSI for three years.
Kirsty Roberts of NRW highlighted the severity of the ecological impact, noting that the damaged peat represented approximately 40cm of growth accumulated over 400 years. She warned that natural recovery would not occur within a human lifetime and that without intervention, biodiversity loss would become irreversible. The destruction also threatens ground-nesting birds and other wildlife.
While the root cause of the surge is unclear, Lloyd attributed part of the problem to social media, which users allegedly employ to share locations of remote areas. Drivers have been traveling from across the UK, including the Midlands and London, to access these fragile environments.
Lord Newborough of the Rhug Estate, which owns the damaged Berwyn land, expressed deep disappointment. He stated that while the estate encourages public enjoyment under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, the increase in wilful damage to nests and habitats is distressing. He called for more resources to protect the land, emphasizing that current levels of encroachment are harmful to the ecosystem.
Seizing them on the spot is smart. No appeals, no excuses. Just a very long, muddy walk back to the car park.
I love exploring the Berwyns, but this is heartbreaking. The damage to those ground-nesting birds is truly irreversible.
Four hundred pounds a person plus a driving ban? That seems light for destroying protected land. I’d expect heavier penalties.
Is it just me, or does this feel like policing by TikTok? People are literally driving across the country for a viral moment.
About time. That peat took four centuries to grow and was ruined in an afternoon. Zero tolerance is the only way.