Mountain rescue's 12-hour operation to clear 'river of rubbish' seen 3 miles away

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Mountain rescue's 12-hour operation to clear 'river of rubbish' seen 3 miles away2 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleIolo CheungBBC WalesCentral Beacons Mountain Rescue TeamCentral Beacons Mountain Rescue Team say they removed over a tonne of waste from Bwlch MountainFly-tipped waste described as a "river of rubbish" running down the side of a mountain has been cleared by volunteers. Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team removed more than a tonne of waste from Bwlch Mountain, a Rhondda Cynon Taf beauty spot, over the weekend. Due to the challenging terrain, teams lowered themselves by rope as part of the 12-hour operation.

Rhondda Cynon Taf council said it was "completely unacceptable" that some people had treated the site "as a personal dumping ground". The waste was highlighted in January by travel blogger Nathan Dixon, whose drone captured the scale of the fly-tipping. At the time he said the mess could be seen from "three to five miles away".

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Nathan DixonThe waste can be seen from miles away and appears to include household goodsLandowner Katie Davies said she was "devastated" by the "disgusting" scenes. The rubbish appeared to have accumulated over time from being dumped from a lay-by at the top of Bwlch Mountain, meaning it lay on steep terrain that was difficult to access. The council said the illegally dumped waste included commercial and household debris, such as "tyres, plasterboard, cement bags, household white goods, and tonnes of loose refuse".

Central Beacons Mountain Rescue TeamCarys Rees, from the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, says she "couldn't be prouder of the team"They added that there was also evidence that people had scaled the slopes in order to burn the evidence, potentially endangering local wildlife and the environment. However, with favourable weather conditions over the weekend, the council managed to team up with the mountain rescue team to remove the rubbish. "This was far more than a litter pick," said Carys Rees from the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team.

"Over the course of a 12-hour day, the team deployed around a kilometre of rope and hauled well in excess of a tonne of rubbish back to the roadside using specialist rope rescue systems. "The terrain was challenging, the conditions were demanding and it required a huge amount of teamwork, skill and determination from everyone involved. " Mess which could be seen from "three to five miles away" took 12 hours to clearRees said she "couldn't be prouder of the team", adding: "Not only did volunteers give up their time to take part in this operation and work safely in such difficult terrain, but throughout the day we also responded to four separate mountain rescue callouts.

"That commitment says everything about the professionalism and dedication of our volunteers.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.