Sailings to Ramsey Island were cancelled.

A 65-year-old legal covenant protecting a field used for car parking on the Pembrokeshire coast is causing chaos for boat trips to an offshore bird sanctuary.

All sailings to Ramsey Island were cancelled last week and 20 staff employed by two charter boat companies were made temporarily redundant because the field, near St David's, had to be closed.

The move came after it was discovered the land, which overlooks the picturesque St Justinian's Cove, could only legally be used for agricultural purposes.

However, a neighbouring farmer has stepped into the breach and offered his land for parking.

A limited boat service has been resumed this week.

We are running a limited service at the moment but in three week's time it's Whitsun and this field needs to be open and operating properly Clive Hayes

But the measure is a short-term one and emergency meetings are to be held over the coming weeks to try to resolve the problem.

Clive Hayes, who operates boat charter company Thousand Island Expeditions, said most of the staff had now been taken back on but he said he was fearful for the future.

"We were forced to suspend everything as there was literally no where to park," he said.

Negotiations

"We tried operating for one or two days but people could not park to get here.

"We are running a limited service at the moment but in three week's time it's Whitsun and this field needs to be open and operating properly."

He said whereas normally there would by around 45 boat trips a day to the island, which is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, currently just eight were being done a day.

"Obviously we have concerns for the future and this does need to be resolved," added My Hayes.

For years, visitors have parked in the area known as 'Henry's field', but two months ago the Royal National Lifeboat Institution(RNLI) bought the field, and it was then that the covenant, dating back to 1937, was discovered.

A restriction on using the land for anything other than agricultural purposes meant the RNLI were forced to shut the car park.

St David's City Council says it is negotiating with the RNLI and the owner of the covenant for temporary parking arrangements to be made.

Council clerk Reverend David Menday said: "The city council has taken a very positive lead in bringing everyone together to try and resolve the problem in the area and will continue to do so."

Nesting birds on Ramsey Island include kittiwakes, shearwaters, peregrines and choughs and there is also a large Atlantic seal colony.