Royal Welsh 'time-wasters' fined

Emergency services by the river Carl Yapp's show diary In pictures: First day images 10-mile jams to show

Two youths have been fined £80 each for wasting police time after making up a story that someone had fallen from a bridge near the Royal Welsh showground.

Police and rescue services launched a large-scale search after receiving reports that a person had plunged into the River Wye early on Tuesday.

Fire crews, 15 mountain rescuers, a helicopter and boat were involved in a hunt that began at 0330 BST.

The operation came on the second day of the four-day agriculture show.

This shows that we will take robust action when people waste emergency services' time Andy Twigger, Dyfed-Powys Police

Temporary Ch Insp Andy Twigger said: "A great deal of time has been wasted today by police and our colleagues in both mountain rescue and fire and rescue services.

"This shows that we will take robust action when people waste emergency services' time and it should serve as a warning to others who may be tempted to make false reports."

Brecon Mountain Rescue Team started its search upstream in the village of Erwood six miles (9.6km) away, before calling it off early in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, event organisers said new car parks to the north of the showground which opened on Tuesday on the A470 and A483, would be used again on Wednesday.

Tuesday's sunny weather has meant that the ground has not cut up, and officials said they could re-open other parking areas closed due to bad weather.

Attendance figure

Show director Harry Featherston-Haugh said some vehicles causing an obstruction had been clamped for the first time at the show.

Meanwhile, officials have admitted that Monday's attendance figure could have been incorrect.

At 1500 BST, the figure stood at 37,832 - down 17,124 on last year's record of 54,956 - but they said that by the end of the day that had risen to 48,413.

Show treasurer Richard Moseley said an error could have been made or there could have been a surge later in the afternoon. Tuesday's figure was 57,295, down by about 6,000 visitors on last year.

Extra car parking had to be opened to the north of the showground after 10-mile traffic jams and bad weather marred the start of the show on Monday.

Organisers said the parking situation improved on Tuesday, although it was again a slow process.

Officials said drivers stopping to talk to stewards had been partly to blame for Monday's hold-ups.