Cavers abseiled down a local gorge and cleared a local beauty spot of discarded mattresses, headboards, cushions, ribbons of carpet, and a prosthetic foot.

Monmouthshire County Council’s highways team joined up with Brynmawr Caving Club and engineering firm Costain to clear the scenic space at Llanelly Hill which was blighted by fly-tipping.

Members from the caving club abseiled down a steep slope between Darenfelin and Gellifelin on Sunday, a beauty MCC said has long-suffered from inconsiderate fly tippers.

Victoria Bluemel of Brynmawr Caving Club lives close to the site. She said, “As a local resident I’m appalled to see that fly-tipping is still an issue in the vicinity despite previous warnings to the public. Thankfully, the community were happy that we were willing to clear it ourselves and raise the issue again. It’s such a shame as the gorge is a spectacular scene of natural engineering.”

After clearing up the mess, which included a prosthetic foot, the combined effort left an ‘immaculate’ site.

Monmouthshire’s highways team closed the road, waiving the usual fee, before allowing the cavers to get to work. ??Karon Williams, of MCC’s environmental team, hailed the clean-up operation.

“Thanks to great work by Brynmawr Caving Club we have rid this beautiful area of two mattresses, headboards, cushions, five large pieces of carpet, plastic bags full of rubbish, general household items and over 60 plastic bottles, cans and glass bottles,” she said.

“Incredibly, we also found an agricultural show trophy for best milker and a prosthetic foot!  We shall investigate the rubbish to ascertain whether we can trace it to any original owners.”??Barry Burn, a member of the caving club, said the operation was a success, but lamented the necessity to do it in the first place. ??“As cavers, we are always mindful of the impact our actions can have on the natural environment and always saddened when we see such mindless acts that cause great harm to both the underground and above-ground environment,” he said. “We were happy to help out and apply the skills we have gained from exploring our local caves to reach the rubbish dumped in what, to most people, is a difficult to reach, if not inaccessible, place. ??“I find it unbelievable that someone would go to such lengths to dump this rubbish, spoiling such a beautiful part of the Clydach Gorge, when the local civic amenities site is just down the road and open to all residents.”

Costain, the chief contractor for the A465 dual carriageway project between Gilwern and Brynmawr, pitched in — shutting down the road, and hauling the piles of junk to a local recycling centre.

Bruce Richards, Costain project director commented, “Once we were informed of the problem and the difficulty in recovering the material, we were keen to assist where we could.  I’m pleased that the area has been cleaned so that we can all enjoy its beauty.  I hope that the offenders are traced and brought to justice.”

The scourge of fly-tipping has gathered prominence within MCC in recent years, after this newspaper reported that Welsh councils last year spent £1.3m on cleaning up fly-tipped rubbish.

Councillor Sara Jones said, “We’re very grateful for the magnificent contribution made by members of Brynmawr Caving Club and Costain to help restore this site to its former glory. 

“Fly-tipping is an anti-social activity and causes wider problems, other than the aesthetic impact on the environment.  It can reduce inward investment into the area, affect house prices and adds to the risk of flooding if it occurs near water courses, as is the case at Llanelly Hill.  ??

“Fly-tipping is often difficult to clean up, especially in sites like this beautiful gorge, and deprives other front line services of much-needed resources.  The council has prosecuted a number of fly-tippers in recent years and asks residents to report incidents of fly-tipping.”?