Talks are to be held in a popular Welsh tourist area in an effort to cut the number of accidents involving walkers.

Community councillors in the Neath Valley are meeting officials from the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and Forest Enterprise, following a spate of incidents in which tourists have been killed or seriously injured.

Councillor Taylor says walkers ignore signs

The meetings have been arranged in the hope of finding a solution to the problem of attracting tourism while ensuring visitor safety.

The areas surrounding Ystradfellte are favourites with ramblers and climbers and, while locals are keen to promote tourism, they are concerned that so many visitors have suffered serious accidents.

"People just ignore the warning signs and there is not a lot we can do about it," said local councillor Joan Taylor.

"It's just down to people to be aware of their own personal safety when in the area."

'Comfortable condition'

A 51-year-old woman was flown to hospital on Sunday after falling 50ft feet near the Clyn Gwyn Falls, near Ystradfellte.

Catherine Palmer, a tourist from Leicester, was said to be in a comfortable condition on Monday at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

The accident came two months after a 16-year-old boy drowned at a waterfall on a visit to Sgwd y Gwladys Falls, near Glynneath, while on an outdoor activity holiday.

Herve Bola, 16, from Woodford Green in Essex got into difficulty after jumping into the river to cool off, at the beauty spot known as the Lady Falls.

Many casualties have been air-lifted to hospital

Just weeks later, a Turkish holidaymaker was lucky to be alive after falling 25ft into the nearby Clun Gwyn Falls and suffering multiple fractures.

Last year, two tragedies happened in the same area. A teenage trainee soldier drowned in July 2001 whilst on a training exercise in an underwater cavern complex.

The following month,17-year-old Jason Dalton died after a fall during a college field trip in the area.

In the latest accident, the woman was hauled to safety by the crew of the RAF rescue helicopter based at Chivenor in North Devon.

A Brecon Beacons mountain rescue team happened to be on exercise when the alert went out and co-ordinated the rescue.

David Crease, of Western Beacons Mountain Rescue, said: "I was looking at that waterfall to move on to our next exercise, and she was there at the bottom.

"I managed to call the team, call in an RAF helicopter from Chivenor and about an hour later we managed to get her into hospital."

The waterfall, on Afon Mellte, is a popular beauty spot but its ledges can be treacherous when mist is generated by the falling water.