The head of Police Federation Wales has asked people to stay at home amid potential coronavirus confusion and after seeing a spike in people taken to hospital over the weekend.

Mark Bleasdale said there had been reports that A&E departments had been "as busy as a normal bank holiday weekend".

And he admitted that some of the differences between the statements made by Mark Drakeford and Boris Johnson over the weekend could confuse the public, but said the message in Wales was for people to stay at home.

Mr Bleasdale, Welsh lead for the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “I want to give clarity to the Welsh public that our citizens must continue to heed the stay at home messaging and only leave when they have a permitted reason to do so.

“The only headline changes in Wales are that people can now exercise one more time each day, or can go to a garden centre, waste transfer station or library provided social distancing measures have first been implemented.

“Unlike England, nothing has changed in Wales and police officers will continue to take a subtle and supportive approach to the public. In the fight against Covid-19, the less contact police officers have in Wales with members of the public the quicker we will all benefit.

“England has taken a different approach, and drivers who might intend to travel to England for leisure purposes need to realise that if they are stopped first in Wales, they are in breach of Welsh regulations and breaking the law.

“The Police Federation of England and Wales supports the respective governments in the application of the differing laws and legislation. However, it is imperative the public realises the differences in legislation and understand the serious issues involved in crossing from one country to another.”

Mr Bleasdale added that Police Federation representatives in Wales were involved in regular discussions with chief constables, police and crime commissioners, and the police liaison unit within the Welsh parliament.

He said: “We’ve adopted a measured response to the many challenges thrown up by the pandemic, and my colleagues have been outstanding.

“Sadly, we’ve heard anecdotally that A&Es in certain parts of Wales at the weekend were as busy as a normal bank holiday weekend, and this is clearly worrying. However, police officers in Wales are standing up to the challenging environment whilst still managing their own serious health concerns.

“Policing has become even more complex over the last number of months, but officers continue to deliver the best possible service in the most trying of circumstances. The level of commitment and dedication to the public remains unchanged, but we continue to need the Welsh public to stay at home and to support us.”