In disbelief, shocked, the culprit is found’
they cared. I can’t thank them enough. The manager rang me every day to see how I was, and like I said, after a few days I was back to my normal self.
“Initially, the first couple of days it was tough and without my family and definitely without my team-mates I think I would have struggled more than I did.”
It also had a significant impact on his family – who were shown the abuse, as was Steve Cooper, after the Man City game.
“My family must have seen it first and they were disgusted and shocked,” he said. “The manager saw the messages and was immediately angry and shocked. He was lost for words, and so was I.
“My family were upset, my mum, dad, brother and sister. It affected them as well, not just seeing their son upset but people racially abusing me because of where my family are from and their ethnicity.
“My mum and dad are angry, the same as me, and feel exactly what I feel, so I think that’s the main reason why I’m feeling better, because of the support and love I’ve had from them.”
■ Facebook’s ‘disgusting stance’
After a complaint was lodged by Dhanda, South Wales Police confirmed they were investigating the incident.
However, Facebook – which owns Instagram – angered Dhanda and Swansea City for its stance on the severity of the punishment issued to the abuser.
In a statement, Facebook said: “We do not want racism and hate on our platforms. The person who sent this message has been restricted from sending messages on Instagram for a set period of time, and we will remove new accounts created to get around this restriction.
“We think it’s important people have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes but, per the new measures put in place this week, if they continue to break our rules this account will be removed.”
The Swans stated they were “shocked” at Facebook’s stance, while Dhanda says the lack of punishment from the social media powerhouses could lead to the perpetrator abusing others in the future without facing any consequences.
“If they actually see what I’ve been through, and not just me, but people who are getting abused for having disabilities or their gender or anything like that, they should be willing to speak to people who have actually been abused, hear their side of the story, and I think if they did they would have to make a change,” explained the Swansea man.
“I was more angry than anything. For the person to be able to send abuse and not get banned on social media, to just be banned from sending messages for a short period of time, it was disgusting really.
“It didn’t just affect me, it hurt my family to know that next to nothing has been done about it.
“Whoever it was that has sent the messages, they can go back to saying whatever they want, abusing whoever they want after just a short period of time, and this is where I think the big problem is with social media companies.”
■ Not letting the trolls win
The fight was something Dhanda wasn’t going to shy away from.
“The support I’ve had from thousands of people from different clubs and backgrounds, it shows that there is so many good people out there in ratio to this one ignorant person that sent me the racial abuse,” he explained.
“When you look at it on the other hand, the amount of people who have a good heart, sent me messages and cared for my feelings, I thank everyone so much for doing it.”
And Dhanda has insisted he will not delete his social media channels despite the abhorrent abuse he was subjected to.
“I think, as soon as I boycott my social media, the person who sent me the abuse, he’s won,” he explained.
“I can’t interact with people who actually like me, respect me and send me positive messages.
“I can’t delete my own social media because the amount of positivity I actually get from social media, it would be a real shame because the ratio of positive messages compared to the negative ones is massive.
“I can’t let this one person win and me suffer from not socialising with people who are fans of Swansea, football or Indian or proud of me. But I speak to friends on social media, I interact with my own family on social media.
“So how can I delete my own social media and let this person win when the only person who should come off social media and have a punishment is the person who sent the abuse?”
What must happen next?
The police investigation remains ongoing, although Dhanda has contacted Facebook in a bid to gain answers behind the lenient punishment it issued to his abuser.
And Dhanda believes those who sign up to social media accounts must prove their identity to ensure they can be held accountable for their actions.
“If I could sit down with social media companies, I think there should be some sort of proving who you are before signing up to the social media apps that you want to use,” he said. “If then you sign up, you show who you really are, whether it be a credit card, passport or whatever, it proves who you are and where your location is.
“If you still want to send abuse, be racist and discriminate others, you can be tracked down and your account banned and you can’t make another one. You get one chance to use your identity on these applications and then if you still want to go and abuse people and make people feel bad about themselves, then your account would be blocked and you’re not allowed back on it.
“They’re not doing anywhere near enough. Until they start doing more and making changes, these people sending the abuse are just going to continue to do it.”
Taking the knee
Football has been united in its stance to eradicate racism from the game and society.
Since the restart of the game in the UK last year following a three-month absence owing to the coronavirus pandemic, clubs have taken the knee before matches to show their support for anti-racism campaigns.
However, clubs have taken their own stances during the course of the last year or so, with Brentford recently confirming that they will no longer take the knee.
But Dhanda feels the gesture remains important as it shows players from different clubs and backgrounds can be united throughout the game.
“For me, I’m someone who hates racism anyway, even before this happened to me.
“I was very passionate about people not being racist and respecting everyone, regardless of where they come from,” he said.
“I think taking the knee is a sign of respect and a sign of showing we all stick together, so for me, the message of taking the knee is a good message. In football, people who are taking the knee from different backgrounds shows we’re all sticking together.”
FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Izabelle Jones suffers nightmares in which she sees her family and friends face down in water – she can’t wake them. Then she wakes up, relieved it was just a bad dream, only to confront another day of her family’s ongoing waking nightmare.
A month ago she was clinging to a firefighter as he led her and her brother to safety through waist-deep water.
She is one of the victims of the Skewen flood who have described their ordeal as “soul destroying” as they face up to a year away from their homes.
On the afternoon of Thursday, January 21, residents and their pets had to be rescued from floodwaters after trapped mine water burst out to the surface, leaving roads, homes and vehicles submerged in a rustyorange liquid.
More than 100 homes were evacuated as emergency services continued to deal with the incident in the days and weeks that followed.
And it will be at least 12 months before some people will be allowed to return to live in their homes, while others may never return because their houses are at risk of being demolished.
Now, nearly a month on from the flood, residents have opened up on their trauma as they struggle emotionally and financially.
Emma Jones, 42, lives in one of the worst-hit streets in Skewen, Goshen Park, which is close to the source of the flooding.
She was at work when her daughter, Izabelle, called her frantically as water poured down their street.
Mrs Jones said: “I was in work and my 15-year-old twins were at home doing schoolwork. My daughter video-called me in a state of panic and showed me water cascading outside. At that point it hadn’t reached the house.
“By the time I got home it was just a massive, massive river around the back of my house and I couldn’t get to my home.
“Police told my twins to stay upstairs and they took the dogs too. If my twins hadn’t been home, the dogs would have been downstairs and they would have perished.
“The twins were told that firefighters would come and rescue them and that’s what happened.
“It was so traumatic and distressing for them.”
Mrs Jones said one of the most heartbreaking parts of the ordeal was coming home and seeing the state of her house.
“It’s soul destroying to watch your family’s home that you’ve built just get ripped apart in front of you and all your possessions,” she said.
“Things that might not be worth a lot financially, but things that have got a lot of sentimental value have gone.”
She said the situation hadn’t only taken its toll on the community financially, but also emotionally and physically.
“We have children now who are having nightmares and are struggling to sleep, and we have adults as well who are struggling to sleep because of the stress,” said Mrs Jones.
“One of the older gentlemen has collapsed due to heart issues and the doctor told him it was due to all the stress of the situation.
“So far, since the incident we have moved to three different places and we are going to have to move again shortly, so that will be four times. We’re hoping that when we move the fifth time it will be back to our home.”
Mrs Jones said her daughter, Izabelle, had been suffering with nightmares ever since the flood.
Describing the terrifying day, Izabelle
said: “I was in the house doing some work and my dogs were barking outside the window.
“I went to see what they were barking about and there was a massive river outside of our house.
“I rang my mum and showed her the back of the house and it was like a waterfall coming over our fence.
“It still started to come in the house so we unplugged the electrics and put wellies on.
“The fire brigade was outside and told us to go upstairs so we took the dogs with us and they were crying.
“My mum was outside and I was telling her I was OK and then about 30 minutes later the firefighters came into the house to rescue us.
“When we went outside the water was waist high and it had a massive current and we had to have the firemen gripping onto us so we didn’t fall.
“We went to my grandpa’s then and stayed there for the night, before going to the first hotel.
“Then we moved to a bed and breakfast, where we are now. At that point I started experiencing nightmares about what had happened.
“I was dreaming that my family and friends were face down in the water and I was trying to wake them up but they wouldn’t.
“I’m still getting them occasionally, but not every night like I was.”
Izabelle said her school, Dwr y Felin Comprehensive, had been amazing in helping her continue to study for her exams.
However, she is still worried that her grades might drop with the dual stress from the pandemic and the flood.
“My school has been absolutely amazing.
“My school bag was in the water and I couldn’t salvage it so the school has replaced everything and given me a computer and told me I can go in whenever I want, so I’ve been doing that,” she said.
“My brother, Josh, goes to Birchgrove School and they’ve been exactly the same with him.”
Rhian David lives in Jubilee Crescent with her husband, Christian, and their two children, Logan, seven, and Olivia, two.
Her family have been told that they will not be able to return to live in their home for another year. She said her insurance would not stretch to cover all the flood damage.
Describing the day her world got turned upside down, she said: “My husband was in the house and I was out with my daughter. Ironically we had a workman there to sort out a leak in the house. He went to leave and said ‘have you seen this water outside?’ That was about 11.30am.
“At that point it was just a bit of water rolling down the street – that happens sometimes when it has been raining so we didn’t think much of it.
“Within 15 minutes it had started pouring into our garden and we started to think it was a bit different to the norm. Ten minutes later the water was a few inches away from our door.
“We were calling the council and fire brigade and anyone who might be able to help us.
“Then the water started coming through our walls and my son was hysterical. We got him to pack some items to give him something to focus on so he could calm down and then we were asked to leave.
“My husband had to leave without anything. We were able to get our valuables when everything had calmed down a bit.”
Meanwhile, Mrs David said she and her daughter went to her mum’s home in Penshannel for safety. She had tried getting to her house but was unable to get down her street due to the water flow.
By 1pm the rest of her family were rescued and joined her. They will have to stay there for the next eight weeks until their housing agency has a house ready for them.
She said that despite taking out a large sum in insurance, it would not be enough to cover the cost of the extensive damage to her belongings.
“We took out just over £20,000 in insurance and that isn’t going to cover it. There is the initial damage caused by the flood that came to about £17,000, £18,000, but then came the secondary damage – for example the furniture upstairs that has been ruined by damp. I don’t know how much more that will cost at this point, but judging by what we have we’re probably looking at about £5,000.”
Mrs David said she and her family felt incredibly let down by the Coal Authority. “I don’t know how to feel. It has just been one massive headache and we feel like the Coal Authority has just brushed their hands of it,” she said.
A spokesman for Neath Port Talbot council said it was leading the recovery effort, which involved a number of agencies and community organisations.
“The early phase of the recovery effort has focused on cleaning the areas affected by the flooding, inspecting structures and trees for safety, and facilitating access to residents’ properties by the utility companies to make sure the homes are safe.
“We have also worked closely with the Coal Authority to facilitate the works that they are responsible for, including working with Coal Authority staff to create a temporary access road that has enabled the majority of residents at Goshen Park to return home,” said the spokesman.
“More than 50 households have needed to find temporary accommodation and the council has worked with those who do not have the support of family, friends or neighbours to find suitable accommodation.
“The council has co-ordinated its work with local voluntary organisations, especially the Salvation Army, to meet the immediate basic needs of residents.
“We have administered the Welsh Government’s financial assistance to those affected and ensured that residents have council tax exemptions and access to support for pursuing insurance and other claims. We have also provided generators and dehumidifiers to some of the residents who do not have insurance to help dry out homes.”
Lisa Pinney, chief executive at the Coal Authority, said: “Every home flooded, from any cause, is a tragedy. Our sympathy remains with all those affected by this incident.
“Our focus continues to be on listening to residents and providing practical support, and working with partners such as Neath Port Talbot council, to help those affected move forwards and recover their homes from the flood.
“We have engaged with residents on site, through an online residents meeting and through our residents’ support line (0800 288 4268) to hear their feedback and help them access the support that is available. We provide weekly updates and work with Neath Port Talbot council to provide information through their webpage www.npt.gov.uk/skewen.
“The new temporary access road has allowed the majority of families access back to their homes to live, or to progress the recovery work that will enable them to move back in time. We can now begin the permanent remediation works to repair the mineshaft and build a permanent solution for the mine water.
“The final services have been relocated this week so that full excavation around the affected mineshaft can begin. Clean-up work is progressing well and we have provided extra services, such as private drain clearance, at the request of residents.
“The Coal Authority is continuing to do all that it is able to do to support residents, aid the recovery of flooded homes and to put a permanent mine water management scheme in place to provide peace of mind.”