RESIDENTS of Govilon have expressed their concern and disappointment at the behaviour of a small minority of charity walkers.

Breast cancer charity In The Pink had scheduled its first 'Fun-Walk' through Clydach Gorge for Sunday 10 June, starting in Brynmawr and finishing at the Llanfoist Community Centre via the Route 46 footpath. The charity walk was proudly announced as the 'longest fancy dress walk in Wales', and it is estimated that nearly a thousand people took part.

Whilst the majority of the walkers enjoyed the natural beauty of Clydach Gorge, residents in the Govilon area have been left with a tainted view of the event after people at the tail-end of the walk were said to be drunk and acting inappropriately.

Local people reported that the drunken behaviour, including partial nudity and loud swearing, happened in a residential area in front of small children and were said to be disappointed at the acts of the small group.

"It's just such a shame that the event was ruined by those people at the back", said one resident.

"The rest of the walk had been in good spirits, and my kids were enjoying watching everyone go past our house. But they also witnessed the drunken walkers at the back swearing and shouting, and it really was a shame for it to end that way."

Another Govilon resident added, "I'm no Victor Meldrew but I was appalled to see the trail of litter - mainly drinks cans and plastic bottles - that was left behind when the cyclists and walkers had gone by.

"I think next year the organisers should come along with black bags and pick up the rubbish after the event."

In The Pink has raised close to £1 million for breast cancer research in Cardiff.

Liz Sullivan (pictured), organiser of the walk, which has to date raised some £40,000, said she was upset to hear that residents had been distressed by the behaviour of a small number of walkers.

"We always hope that people will behave appropriately when they're supporting the charity and the group responsible for this behaviour probably felt that they were not doing anything wrong, but sadly people don't always live up to the standards of others."

"I sympathise fully with these residents because I am personally deeply offended by bad language but it's a sad fact that you can't have any control over the way adults speak and we can't put stewards over every mile of the walk telling people how to behave or what to say.

"We try to cause as little disruption as possible to people who live along the footpath, in fact my husband and I along with a few other volunteers re-walked the route on Monday to make sure there was no litter left along the way.

"I'm sorry that residents were unhappy with the behaviour of some people but the important thing is that the people who took part have once again made an awful lot of money for a very worthwhile cause," she said.