POLICE officers carried out patrols near the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge on Friday night, coinciding with the new lockdown restrictions in Wales.

Motorcyclists from Gwent Police’s Operations and Support team conducted a series of vehicle checks, stopping 10 “vehicles of interest” were stopped during “pro-active patrols”.

At 6pm on Friday, Wales entered a two-week ‘circuit break’ or ‘fire break’ nationwide lockdown, lasting until Monday, November 9.

Among the new rules is the requirement to only travel when it is essential to do so.

There are no nationwide restrictions in place over the border in England.

More News

Controversial one-way system scrapped

Health board reject conspiracy claims about hospital

Man urges people to get flu jab after near death experience

Of those 10 vehicle stops, six fines were issued for breaches of the coronavirus regulations.

One driver was also arrested for failing a drug wipe, testing positive for cannabis.

The new ‘circuit break’ rules have thrown up countless questions in the past week or so, including doubts over how the restrictions will be enforced on the Wales-England border.

Last week, an English police force said it would not be setting up checkpoints for vehicles travelling towards Wales.

Gloucestershire Constabulary dismissed reports it would be stopping every car travelling into Wales, but said officers would patrol the main routes in the Forest of Dean and stop some vehicles if there was a concern they may have travelled some distance.

“If they don’t turn around, we will then inform the force that polices the area they have travelled from, so that they can issue a fine,” a spokesman for the Gloucestershire force said.

The current ‘circuit break’ rules mean people outside Wales are being discouraged from visiting – as was the case towards the end of the UK’s national lockdown earlier this year, when restrictions in Wales were lifted slightly later than in England.