SWIMMERS jumping into the sea at Porthclais Harbour, near St Davids, are putting their lives at risk as well as the safety of boat users.

Alan Pugh, harbourmaster, said that the harbour is extremely busy this year and adults and children jumping into the busy harbour as boats come and go are posing a real danger.

Despite the National Trust forbidding the use of signs at the harbour, Mr Pugh has resorted to putting one up to try and warn of the dangers but feels people are not paying attention to it.

"As soon as I put the sign up, they ignored it," he said.

"The harbour entrance is only about 20 foot wide, we have adults and children jumping in front of boats that are coming in and going out of the harbour.

"If anyone gets hurt, the boat owners are responsible not the person jumping in the water in front of them."

Mr Pugh said the harbour was 'chock-a-block' at the moment but said the problem was mainly being caused by holidaymakers who had 'switched off'.

"Locals respect the harbour master," he said. "When the Blue Tits go swimming every one of them uses a marker buoy.

"It's the visitors. They have switched off and they are in holiday mode they think that it can't happen."

He said that although there was a speed limit in the harbour, a two tonne boat with the wind behind it could not stop immediately like a car could."

"We've got 50 boats in the harbour and the harbour entrance is about 20 foot wide," he said. "They don't realise the danger.

"All I'm trying to tell them is to use your noggin When you see a boat coming in or leaving the harbour stay out of the way until it is all clear

"That's not happening. They're not taking any notice they just have to use a bit of common sense.

"Some of them are sensible but there's a lot that just don't care. They have got to think of the danger."