Lockdown rules mean people in a seaside town can’t visit their own harbour – because it’s in another county.

That’s the incredible truth about the office and retail businesses situated on the western side of Rhyl’s Foryd Harbour, across the £4.3m Pont Y Ddraig pedestrian and cycle bridge.

The Bike Hub, Harbour Hub Cafe and Harbourmaster’s Office are proudly boasted as part of Rhyl’s regeneration led by Denbighshire council.

Yet they reside in neighbouring Kinmel Bay, which is in the Conwy county council area.

The land is owned by Denbighshire council but, as it’s within another county’s boundaries, it’s illegal to go there without a valid reason during lockdown.

A Conwy county council sign at the end of the bridge warns visitors coming from Rhyl they are “Entering a lockdown area. Local restrictions apply.”

It’s confusing for locals – and the businesses who trade there.

A member of staff working on the western side of the bridge was still confused about where he was when approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

He said: “We are in Denbighshire. You have to go through Conwy county to get here.

“You have to go into a different county if you drive over the Foryd Bridge to get here too.

“There have been so many kick-offs on Facebook about it and everyone who’s coming in is asking what the rules are.

“A policeman told me they just haven’t got the manpower to enforce it – it’s all just ridiculous.”

However, despite some staff thinking they work in Denbighshire, a technical officer from Denbighshire council wrote to a resident and said: “I can confirm  the Harbour Hub Cafe is within the boundaries of Conwy, therefore it is unfortunately not permissible for Denbighshire residents to cross the border to go for a coffee.”

It has, as the staff member said, caused a predictable rumpus on Facebook.

One commenter, typical of those venting, said: “Utter madness we are allowed to travel to Llangollen from Rhyl but not over the Blue (Foryd) Bridge.”

The LDRS asked Denbighshire and Conwy county councils what the situation is.

They said the rules are as Welsh Government has stated, so people in Rhyl should only visit for “essential reasons”.

A spokesman for Denbighshire and Conwy council said: “The border between Denbighshire and Conwy runs roughly through the estuary, so we can understand there may be some confusion about the boundary between both counties.

“Although Denbighshire county council owns the land where Rhyl Harbour Café is situated, the land itself is on the Conwy county borough side of the boundary.”