While thousands of spectators enjoyed this year's Abergavenny Cycling Festival a number of local residents have complained to the Chronicle about road closures connected to the event.

Among them was 78-year-old Derek Meadows of Poplars Road, whose wife Jean, aged 73, suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

Derek is calling on the festival organisers to rethink the route of the main event - the Grand Prix of Wales - after a stressful experience when he took his wife shopping.

"I don't have anything against sporting events but I think it's absolutely ridiculous for the Mardy to be 'marooned' for five hours on the Sunday afternoon," he said.

At around midday, just as the streets were being closed, Derek had taken his wife to The Swan Hotel for a drink prior to going shopping at Aldi.

"Doctors have said that quality of life is really important for her. My sister Chrissie and I try to take her out every day because she likes seeing people.

"Jean was a staff nurse and sister at Penyfal and Maindiff Court hospitals for 38 years and she was a real 'people' person. Looking after her now is a 24/7 job - it's very hard.

"I was running late that day because it had taken longer than usual to get her ready.

"After I'd done the shopping I tried to drive back home to St Teilos but the barricades were across the Hereford Road and the police and marshals wouldn't let me through.

"I explained my wife needed her medication but they said the road would be closed until 5pm.

"I had to reverse the car and find somewhere to park then walk about half a mile home with her.

"My wife didn't complain but I knew she was stressed because it was very hot and because she didn't like the fact something was wrong. I also had to carry all the shopping plus the ice packs I'd taken for the frozen food.

"It's impossible for me to leave her alone so, later in the afternoon, I had to walk her all the way back to collect the car."

The following day Derek visited the local police station and the council's one-stop-shop to complain.

"I think the road closures are ridiculous. I'm not against sport at all and I have nothing against cycling but surely it's not necessary for the Mardy to be completely cut off?

"Most of the residents of Poplars Road are pensioners like us. I know there are arrangements in place for emergencies - but my wife's condition makes her an 'emergency' all the time."

Chairman of Llantilio Pertholey Community Council John Fitzgerald said there had been 'no consultation whatsoever with us about the road closures'.

"We have nothing at all against any event that benefits Abergavenny but there are a number of elderly and vulnerable people living on the Mardy and I think it would have been prudent for the organisers to seek our views," he said.

"An added problem was that they started closing the roads an hour earlier than expected. The stewards were putting up the barricades around 11am when the notices on lamp posts and the information sent in the post specified 12 noon.

"People can plan around road closures if they happen at the right time but I've been told that a nurse and carer both tried to get to work and couldn't get out. The organisers don't seem to realise that some people need to work on Sundays!"

A spokesman for Monmouthshire County Council said: "To accommodate the event we work with the organisers on road closures and try our best to minimise disruption.

"There will inevitably be some short-term disruption, which we regret, but without it the race couldn't happen. It's the same for any town centre event - including the Food Festival.

"We know it can make life difficult for some people but we support events like this because of the far wider benefits they bring to the area. They're good for the people who live there and, by encouraging visitors into the area, they're a boost for the local economy.

"Everything is carefully planned. The organisers meet with our operational people prior to the event to discuss what can and can't be done."

A spokesman for the festival organisers said: "We apologise for any inconvenience to residents of the Mardy but the public were notified of these routes weeks in advance.

"A major sporting event like this is bound to cause some difficulties but we did ask residents to bear with us for just a few hours on the Sunday of the Grand Prix of Wales.

"We also advertised the fact that Abergavenny was open for business for weeks in advance on the AFC website and on social media.

"We had thousands of spectators and fans from across the country who gave Abergavenny a real carnival atmosphere for the weekend.

"We did all we could to make everything as accessible as possible for local residents."