A couple delivering Christmas presents to their family have been stopped by police for breaking coronavirus laws.

South Wales Police said the pair had travelled from Essex and told officers they were heading to Cardiff to give gifts to relatives.

The force said the couple were “in breach of COVID legislation”, as it revealed 110 vehicles were stopped in the first 24 hours of random checks in the Welsh capital.

A group of nine people travelling in convoy to visits friends at university were also turned away by officers, police said.

The force did not say whether the couple delivering presents faced any punishment.

While there are no restrictions on travel within Wales, people in England are banned from crossing the border unless they have a “reasonable excuse”.

This includes travelling for work and “compassionate grounds”, the Welsh government says.

Officers in Cardiff were granted powers to stop and fine drivers from 9am on Friday in an effort to prevent people from outside Wales travelling into the city.

It followed concerns that groups of people from locked-down areas of the UK, where pubs and bars are closed, helped pack out Cardiff city centre’s streets last weekend.

Twelve people have been issued with fixed penalty notices since the new police powers came into force, with a further 15 people given a warning and told to leave Cardiff.

The new powers remain in place until 5pm on Sunday.

Superintendent Wendy Gunney said: “I would like to thank the vast majority of people who are enjoying their weekend with caution and within the confines of the existing regulations, but those not adhering to the rules are continuing to put others at increased risk.

“The measures which are in place are in place for a reason.

“Our checks will continue throughout the weekend, and anybody blatantly flouting the rules, which have been made very clear, face being fined.”

England is in lockdown until Wednesday before a tiered system of coronavirus restrictions is set to come into force.

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