Theresa May on five-day Snowdonia walking holiday amid Syria crisis

UK Prime Minister Theresa May is on a five-day walking holiday in Wales while being constantly updated on heightening tensions in Syria, according to her spokesman.

Ms May’s trip to Snowdonia with her husband, Philip, comes as her G7 counterparts meet in Italy to discuss a joint approach against Bashar al-Assad’s sanctioning of violence and destruction in Syria and the message the G7 leaders will communicate to his ally, Vladimir Putin, in Russia.

“The prime minister and her husband are taking a short UK break away from the office. She will continue to be briefed and updated as required. She is a regular visitor to Snowdonia to go walking,” a No 10 spokesman said.

The Prime Minister spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the US missile strike against a Syrian air base whilst on a short break from 10 Downing Street amid the Easter recess.

She also attended a Palm Sunday service in St Mary’s Church in Dolgellau, Gwynedd.

Ms May and her husband are regular visitors to the area and the nearby Brecon Beacons, and have also enjoyed trips to the Swiss Alps.

She bought a sterling silver ring for £32 from the Celf Aran Arts shop in the town as well as some coasters made out of Welsh slate.

Jeweller Anna Hicks told the Daily Post she was thrilled Ms May had bought some of her pieces.

“When I first heard she had bought some of my pieces, I thought it was a wind-up, but I am very pleased that she liked the rings,” she said. “They are practical rings that can be worn every day.

“We would be delighted if she came back to the shop. Apparently she’s a regular visitor and I think it’s great that she buys locally when she is here.”

Matt Fletcher, who served Ms May in the shop, told the same publication that he was so nervous that he fumbled for the keys to the display case.

“I said to her, ‘Is it you?’ And she said: ‘Well, it depends on who “you” is.’ She was really down to earth," he said.

Ms May told Wales Online this month: "Walking in Wales is an opportunity to get out and about and see scenery and clear your mind and your thinking."

She added: “We stay in a hotel and try to walk every day. Walking is about relaxing, getting exercise and fresh air.”

She said that she and her husband steered clear of discussing politics on a hike for fear of losing their concentration and falling over.

It is unlikely that politics will be far from her mind, however.

Over the last few weeks alone she has triggered Article 50 to leave the European Union, dismissed Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s request for a second referendum on Scottish independence and has visited Saudi Arabia to guarantee trade after Brexit.

Foreign secretary Boris Johnson was tasked with meeting G7 leaders this week in Lucca, Italy, to discuss warfare in Syria and possible Russian assistance in launching a chemical attack which killed as many as 100 civilians.

To divert the mind and relax, Ms May also enjoys cooking as she told Wales Online it was “practical and useful”.

Ms May’s preferred food in Wales is lamb and cheese, rather than cakes, she said, as she has type 1 diabetes.

Her predecessor David Cameron also enjoyed holidays in the UK, including surfing trips in Cornwall, and he was also snapped sipping coffees in Spain with his wife, Samantha Cameron.

The Commons will return from Easter recess on 18 April.