Volunteers get to work in the Beacons

Specialists and volunteers have gathered in the Brecon Beacons to clean up a beauty spot that has been blighted by illegal dumping.

Using climbing gear and specialist equipment, experts from Keep Wales Tidy abseiled to the base of Coalman's Brook gorge to remove bulky and sometimes bizarre items of rubbish.

In driving rain, local volunteers, including schoolchildren, joined staff from the national park cleaning up the nearby riverbank and surrounding area.

"Local communities need to take responsibility and take civic pride in their own areas," said Wynne Williams of Keep Wales Tidy, the organisation that coordinated the operation.

"The money isn't there for organisations like us to do it all ourselves. It has to be local people."

An unidentified animal found during the clean-up

Bizarre

Within the first hour of Friday's operation, the clean-up teams had recovered a television, a safe, an old tram wheel, two wheelbarrows and a dead sheep along with piles of plastic bags full of household refuse.

"Cowboy builders are amongst the worst culprits," added Mr Williams.

He said many jobbing builders dump debris illegally to avoid paying landfill charges.

Coalman's Brook runs at the foot of Llanelly Hill, about five miles west of Abergavenny, and falls within the National Park.

Trying to be greener has led to more flytipping. Mike Scruby, eastern area manager, Brecon Beacons National Park

The Brecon Beacons cover over 500 square miles, much of it secluded, making it difficult for park wardens to control illegal dumping.

"Flytipping is widespread, but localised across the park, with small hotspots closer to larger settlements," said Mike Scruby, eastern area manager of the park.

"Ironically, its got worse as a result of government targets aiming at more recycling. It costs more now to take rubbish to the landfill.

"Trying to be greener has led to more flytipping."