A group of English women who went on a walking trip in Gwynedd won’t return to North Wales - due to the "anti-English” attitude of locals.
Amy Hurst, 56, from Clitheroe, was on a walking holiday in Llanberis with seven women, aged 55-70 when she says they encountered "astounding hatred for the English" at every turn of their four-day trip.
The group are part of ‘Women that Walk’, set up in their town to encourage women to get out in nature.
Florist Amy said: “The hatred for the English in north Wales is astounding, we will not be returning.”
Amy said they first noticed something was awry when they arrived at their Airbnb.
“We were walking down the street when one of us remarked on there being a funeral care place. A guy walking past overheard us and said ‘it’s free for the English!’ It was a bit strange!”
The following night, Amy claims the group entered a pub where a male customer said: “Let’s not bother with these they’re bloody English.”
Amy said: “We had to tell them to leave us alone.
“We ended up leaving and one of our group challenged the man and asked him why he felt the way he did. He turned into a cowering little boy!
“We felt a bit scared, it just felt very threatening.”
Amy also claims in a restaurant the group visited the following day everybody was served apart from them – though she admits it could have just been bad luck.
“The vibe was awful all round – we were all shocked at how bad it was.
“I've been to Wales a few times – but this was really anti-English and probably anti-women too - I will not be going back.”
Amy said despite their experience with the locals, the walk they did up Snowdonia was “incredible” but she was surprised by their treatment.
“It’s hardly Barcelona where they want the tourists out because there are too many.
"I wouldn’t recommend going there to anybody.
“It's such a beautiful place but the people were just off – we basically just got abused.”
To cap things off, Amy claims when last orders were called at a pub they were at on their final day, a member of the group went to get drinks and the pub turned all the lights out.
“They clearly wanted us out as well – I've never had an experience which has made me feel like this before.”