A car was driven along the Gower coast path between Limeslade and Rotherslade on Monday — a walking route upgraded for wheelchair users and families at a cost of £80,000 less than a year ago.
The white hatchback was seen on the narrow clifftop path on Monday afternoon, with witnesses reporting the driver appeared lost and was travelling on a burst front tyre.
A photograph shared in a local Facebook group showed the car part-way along the path, which runs above the rocks between the two bays, with the sea below.
According to an account posted by one walker, the driver was later helped by others to change the tyre and turn the car around, making it back to Limeslade in a damaged vehicle.
South Wales Police confirmed the incident after being contacted by Swansea Bay News.
A force spokesperson said a PCSO was sent to the area and found the picture to be legitimate, with witnesses having seen the car on the path — though it had been removed before the officer arrived.
The path is a pedestrian route and is not open to vehicles.
The stretch between Rotherslade and Limeslade completed an £80,000 upgrade in November, the final phase of a multi-year project to make the route between the bays accessible for wheelchair users, families with pushchairs and less mobile walkers.
Swansea Council said its countryside access team visited the path the following day and found no car and no damage to the surface.
Asked whether any barriers or signage were in place to stop vehicles reaching the path, the council indicated it would now review the question.
A spokesperson for Swansea Council said: “The path was built to make it accessible for walkers and the emergency services. In the light of what’s happened, we’re going to see if any changes are needed.”
The route is among the most popular short coastal walks in Swansea, linking Limeslade Bay with Rotherslade and Langland, and had previously been diverted and rebuilt following coastal erosion.
It forms part of the wider Wales Coast Path and the network of walking routes around Gower, the first area in the UK to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, or has information about it, can contact South Wales Police on 101.
The council did not say when its review of access measures would conclude, or what physical changes might be considered.
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They have plans to do similar between Langland and Caswell , but really to do so would destroy the walk , to make it wheel chair friendly completely would involve cutting out some of the severe inclines which would substantially alter the character of the coastline . Hence the scar that appeared on Caswell side as exploratory work took place , that will heal as it was just top surface vegetation, but that’s what it was about .
For someone to attempt to navigate that path with a car does beg the question how did they even pass their driving test. Alas commonsense and logic seems to drift over the heads of some people. Some people question why we need so many rules and regulations in our lives , well this driver is a case in point to support such an answer as ‘yes we do need them.
Did they pass their driving test
A decision on whether charges are to be made is a bit after the event.
This is a foot path take the licence away and they would have no option but to walk.
Basic rules are being ignored daily. Give way to traffic from the right is being ignored regularly
Road marking need to be changed to make it mandatory to stop at entrances to road junctions and roundabouts.
Is there another cause of this problem. Are Swansea council squeaky clean with regards to maintaining road markings, I think I would favour that cause as Swansea are not very good at anything
Except spending other people’s money