Warning issued about dangerous woodland following Storm Darragh.

Richard Evans, local democracy reporter

Walkers are being urged to stay out of potentially dangerous woodland following Storm Darragh.

The hurricane-force storm raged through Wales at the weekend, tearing down trees and causing thousands of homes to lose power.

The 93mph winds caused widespread damage in north Wales, including to Llandudno’s pier, closing roads, and destroying town centre Christmas trees.

Unstable

Conwy council has now asked residents to remain wary and stay out of woodland where trees may still be unstable.

A council spokeswoman said: “We’re asking people to please stay away from woodland nature reserves and parks while we do safety checks.

“Many trees have been weakened by the storm and are still dangerous.

“There’s a risk from falling branches and damaged trees.

“Over the next few days, our staff will also be inspecting our properties and facilities for any damage.”

Fallen trees

Conwy yesterday said most roads in the county were now open and added council teams had dealt with over 100 fallen trees and large obstructive branches.

The spokeswoman said clean-up efforts will continue throughout the week.

Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, the council’s leader, said: “I would like to thank council staff, colleagues in the emergency services, and our contractors and partners for all their hard work to help keep us safe during Storm Darragh.”

Checks

Denbighshire Council’s leader Cllr Jason McLellan also said the council were still carrying out checks.

“Council officers are still assessing the recent damage from Storm Darragh and will continue to do so into this week,” he said.

“There will still be a lot of debris to clear on and around the road network, so please bear with us whilst that work is undertaken.

“I would like to thank our out-of-hours teams, who, as part of a multi-agency response, have spent this past weekend helping to clear some of the immediate damage around the county, as well as on the road network.

“This response resulted in a number of roads being cleared and re-opened, allowing for safe passage along our road networks.”

He added: “As well as the front-line staff, I’d also like to thank all of the support staff, who have worked tirelessly during this storm.”