Pharoah like drifts of sand at North Dock

STORMS over Christmas caused drifts of tonnes of sand over Llanelli promenade.

Millennium Coastal Park Rangers worked tirelessly to clear three foot drifts from the doors and entrances to the Discovery Centre on Saturday, December 28.

Park manager Rory Dickinson said: “We have had the peculiar situation of horizontal gale force winds followed by balmy spells that has been drawing a lot of people out.

“Boxing Day was exceptionally popular with thousands at Pembrey Country Park and at Llanelli’s North Dock.

“Whilst we experienced no flooding we were swamped under dunes of windblown sands that sealed up the public entrances to the Discovery Centre.

“Park staff worked through the day clearing tonnes of sand.

“More storms are forecast into the New Year period coinciding with high tides and we are bracing ourselves for a difficult weekend with storm and high tides of 8.3metres converging.”

Only damage over the Christmas weekend was the demolition of the Trafalgar Beacon near the Festival Fields site on the MCP.

Mr Dickinson said a 14-inch square of timber spars was snapped like matchwood in the vicious 70mph winds and the cauldron atop the post crashed to ground.

The beacon was erected as part of the Trafalgar bicentenary celebrations in 2005 to mark the 200th anniversary of the sea battle and death of Lord Nelson.

Angela Edwards who runs the ice cream kiosk at the Discovery Centre said: “We were exceptionally busy because the sun was bringing people out for a breather in the middle of all the festivities.

“We seemed to be getting the storms at night and lovely sunny days defying all logic.

“Without the rangers efforts we would not have been able to open up to the public. We were sealed up like a pharaoh’s tomb first thing in the morning.”