A “MAGICAL” light trail in the Welsh capital will end early, due to Covid restrictions.

Christmas at Bute Park – a light trail in the 40 acres of parkland based in Cardiff – was going to run until January 3 but will now close its gates on Boxing Day, meaning today (December 24) is its last date.

A spokeswoman for the trail said: “It is with great sadness that Christmas at Bute Park will be forced to shut its gates as of Boxing Day, bringing our trail to an early end.

“As an outdoor walking trail, through 40 acres of parkland, we fully believe we have created an attraction which can operate in a Covid-safe manner. Sadly, the wide scope of the new regulations makes no exceptions for the attraction, despite the mitigations and safety measures in place.

“We have loved every moment of producing the trail over the last three weeks, as we have worked hard to bring some Christmas cheer to our beautiful home at Bute Park. With a further 40,000 people expecting to visit us over the coming fortnight, we know this blow will be felt by many.”

People with tickets for upcoming trails will be e-mailed with the option to refund tickets, or to carry them over to the 2022 Christmas trail.

All ticket-buyers who carry tickets over will be granted the first pick of dates and time slots and be given free marshmallows to toast on the fire pits.

“Holding on to your ticket will help us to bring back a fantastic event next year. Your support will go a long way during this difficult time,” added the spokeswoman.

“Please bear with us at this time as our customer service teams will be dealing with a high number of enquiries over the Christmas period.”