'Armed police' spark panic after locals heard 'gunshots' at Pontins but later find out it's a training exercise
A witness told local media they had heard "gunshots" near the entrance to the shut-down resort
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"Armed police" sparked panic at an abandoned Pontins holiday park at Prestatyn Sands in North Wales, with witnesses reporting "gunshots" in the area.
A witness told local outlet the Rhyl Journal that they had seen armed officers near the entrance to the former resort, and had heard "gunshots".
Reports of the gunshots had prompted outcry among locals and national news outlets, but a North Wales Police spokesperson told GB News it was a "training exercise, not an ongoing incident".
A witness said: "Armed police were outside a block and police cars were all by the entrance of Pontins.
Local MP Dr James Davies had previously said he had been made aware of "serious expressions of interest" in taking over the site
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"I was nearby and heard shouting and gun shots, and when driving home, I’ve just seen all of the police."
Images from the scene showed a number of black-clad armed police officers outside an apparently disused holiday apartment block.
Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park had opened in 1971 and had been a holiday favourite among families from across the country - but closed last November.
No explanation had been given by Pontins - or its owner, Britannia Hotels - for the closure, but just yesterday, local outlets reported that Butlin's had been looking to acquire the site.
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Dr James Davies, the Conservative MP for Vale of Clwyd, had previously said he had been made aware of "serious expressions of interest" in taking over the site, and had written to several holiday operators urging them to snap it up.
Butlin’s currently runs three resorts across the UK - in Bognor Regis, Skegness and Somerset.
Pontins also administers three parks in the country, after shutting down its Camber Sands and Prestatyn Sands sites in November and its Southport resort in January respectively.
When the Prestatyn Sands resort closed, booked-in guests were offered refunds, but many took to social media to lament the decision.
Devastated would-be holidaymakers voiced their sadness over their cancelled trips at the time; One wrote: "I had a feeling this was going to happen. Sad times."
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