A TV adventurer has thrown his name behind an ongoing message urging holidaymakers and second home owners to stay away from North Wales over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Bear Grylls, who owns the island of Ynys Tudwal Fawr (St Tudwal’s Island West)  near Abersoch in Gwynedd, is a familiar face in the region.

But in a message on social media before the upcoming long weekend, the 45-year-old TV explorer used his high profile to reiterate the need to maintain social distancing and avoid unnecessary travel.

“It’s tough not being able to go to the places we love at the moment,” he wrote.

“But we need to put looking after each other before everything else for a little longer.

“Some of my favourite places in Wales are near Abersoch and they will all still be there when this passes.

“I’ll protect the places I love by looking forward to coming back when the time is right.

“We can all protect each other by doing the right thing – stay home, save lives. Diolch.”

Mr Grylls bought the island  off the coast of the Llyn Peninsula, which is in an area of outstanding natural beauty and a landscape of outstanding historical interest, for £95,000 in 2001.

The move follows the publication of another open letter urging people to avoid all unnecessary travel until the coronavirus restrictions have been lifted by the Welsh Government.

Signed by figures including the First Minister, the leader of the Welsh Local Government Association and Welsh police forces, it reiterates that travelling to a second home does not constitute essential travel and that anyone leaving or remaining away from the place where they are living without a reasonable excuse is committing an offence.

“The vast majority of people are respecting the restrictions and are making strong efforts to adhere to them,” it notes.

“We are asking everyone to continue to respect these measures.

“In particular, we are asking all owners of second homes in Wales to act responsibly and to avoid travelling to those homes until restrictions have been lifted.”

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts said: “I welcome comments regarding the importance of staying at home now and how welcome visitors will be when this period of great uncertainty is over.

“Bear Grylls, Bethan Gwanas, Iolo Williams and Dewi Pws are just some of the familiar faces who have lent their support to this public campaign.

“We need to plan now how to reboost the tourism sector in rural Wales after this is over, as it has been very severely hit by the fall out from this pandemic.”