‘Abandoned’ villagers are still cut off

FIVE houses in a tiny village were still cut off by metres of deep snow yesterday, with families saying they feel abandoned.

The small village of Groeswen, near Nantgarw, has been snowed in from around 3pm on Thursday as severe weather caused by the Beast from the East colliding with Storm Emma hit Wales.

Snow drifts around 9ft deep trapped the residents – including a four-week-old baby and her three-year-old sister, an emergency services worker and an air ambulance pilot.

Mum of two and resident Serian Walker said the village became snowed in as the access lane is much lower than the adjoining fields, meaning drifting snow filled the road.

The Pontypridd-based emergency services worker, who lives with her partner and air ambulance pilot, James Grenfell, said: “We all absolutely understand that we are the least priority but there’s been no communication at all.

“When we’ve called the council they said they had no record of our previous calls so then you’re back at square one.

“We just want to make sure we are on the list and know when it will be cleared.”

Amid “horrendous” conditions some of the residents attempted to leave their homes on Friday – but turned back due to the snow.

Serian said: “It was back-breaking. We had to physically crawl on all fours to try and get out.

“We know that we did not get very far but we just wanted to see how it was and how it was at the end of the lane.”

Serian added that between the residents they have had to struggle with no heating and no water – including the home with the four-week-old baby, where there was no running water for two days.

She said: “We would not last much longer. When you start emptying the freezer and making strange combinations you know you need more food. It’s like prison – but at least there we’d be fed and warm.”

Serian added that they planned to leave their home armed with wheelbarrows to go and buy more supplies.

A Rhondda Cynon Taf Council spokesman said staff had been working “tirelessly” to help residents during one of the biggest snow clearance operations in decades.

A spokesman said yesterday: “The very remote area of Groeswen is an extremely difficult location to access and there were several kilometres of snow which needed to be cleared to reach the residents – with the snow up to 9ft high between hedgebanks along a network of country lanes.

“The council has deployed JCBs to the location and are continuing to clear the lane today.

“We have been in contact with one of the residents and will continue to try and clear the route over the coming days. We would like to reassure residents that we are working as quickly as possible”

From last Thursday the Valleys saw widespread disruption to services and treacherous conditions on the roads.

Following weather forecasts from the Met Office council staff worked around the clock in shifts clearing main roads first, followed by footpaths.