Damage caused by tourists in the Welsh mountains is being repaired thanks to a European initiative.

Seventeen kilometres of footpaths have been restored in Snowdonia as part of a European-funded scheme.

The project is also educating tourists about the problems of erosion.

Thousands of people visit Snowdonia each year and make use of the hundreds of miles of footpaths.

It is a double edged sword - tourists boost the economy but their presence also puts pressure on the fragile environment and erodes the footpaths.

A balance must be struck and the �1.5m project - which has attracted European funding - has now restored seventeen kilometres of paths in the scenic mountain area.

The project has also created 16 new jobs between the national park, the national trust and the Countryside Council for Wales.

The scheme is also trying to educate the public about the necessity of the work to reverse the damage so that people can continue to enjoy the spectacular scenery.