Coal tips safety: Residents say lessons ‘not learned’ from Aberfan disaster

Published

2 months ago

February 9, 2025

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Residents who live near disused coal tips in South Wales say lessons have not been learned from the Aberfan disaster nearly 60 years on.

Their comments come after a disused coal tip in Cwmtillery, Blaenau Gwent, partially collapsed in November, forcing around 40 homes to be evacuated.

A coal tip is made up of waste material from coal mining, many of which have existed for several decades.

Dianne Morgan, 68, has lived in the house she had built in the Cwmtillery ward for the last 10 years.

She told Sky News she didn’t know there was a category D tip – the most dangerous – behind her property, until the slip, which happened after heavy rainfall during Storm Bert.

“All we were told was underlying mines had been there. But there was no mention of a tip when we had searches at all,” she said.

“I’m not being funny, if I had known there was a tip behind me, I wouldn’t have built here.”

‘Got to be sorted’

There are 2,573 disused coal tips in Wales, according to Welsh government data – the vast majority of which are in the former coal mining communities of the South Wales Valleys.

Three hundred and sixty of these are in the two most dangerous categories and are monitored at least once a year as they have “the potential to impact public safety”.

Ms Morgan said she believes lessons have not been learned from the Aberfan disaster in 1966 when a colliery spoil tip collapsed killing 144 people, including 116 children.

A build-up of water within the tip after heavy rain caused it to suddenly slide downhill as slurry.

The tragedy is considered the worst mining-related disaster in British history and was more recently featured in an episode of Netflix series The Crown.

“The tip’s got to come down,” she said, but added that the authorities “don’t want to pay”.

“They think they’ll just drag it on and on and on and then people just forget, but you’re not going to forget are you? Because every time we have pouring down rain or if you hear a noise, you come out here and I have a check just in case it’s something,” she added.

“They all talk about they’re all broke, ain’t we all? But that doesn’t matter, it’s people’s lives you’re dealing with and people’s homes at the end of the day.

“It took everything we had to build this, if that came down and wrecked this, even if I wasn’t in it, we’ve got nothing.”

She said the slip before Christmas “could have been a lot worse”.

“Irrespective of who owns it, it’s got to be sorted…’cause you don’t know where it’s going to come down next’,” Ms Morgan said.

“We’ve got to have a surety that this tip is going to be seen to, and not only this tip but other tips for other people that could be in the same situation that we are, especially with the rain we’re having at the moment.”

‘Nothing getting done’

Brian Preece, 77, has lived in Cwmtillery all his life.

He told Sky News he “always played on the tips” as a child.

“We never had one inclination from anywhere in my life that them tips was dangerous,” he said.

“I played on them myself, my children played on them, my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren.”

He said that if a larger tip would have come down, his street “would have gone” and the tips needed to be taken “down to a safe level”.

“They’ve said they was going to do this, and they said they was going to do that, but there’s nothing getting done and everybody’s worrying now,” he added.

“The only safe way on my behalf, and I’m sure everybody else, is they should be dropped.

“Alright, they say it’s going to cost a lot of money, [but] they’ve got to drop it. You can’t put a price on children’s lives, on anybody’s life, and it should be down.”

Sky News has approached Blaenau Gwent Council for its response.

‘Nothing has changed’

In October, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced £25m in the budget for the maintenance of coal tips in Wales to ensure communities are kept “safe”.

Meanwhile, the Welsh government has outlined proposals for a Disused Tips Authority for Wales, which would take on responsibility for coal tip safety in future.

But campaigners say the money promised to tackle the issue is not enough.

Stuart Adams, 65, regularly walks the tips at Bedwas and Cilfynydd.

Mr Adams is part of the Clear South Wales’s Coal Tips group, which is calling for action to make the tips safer.

“It’s ordinary people that are going to be affected if there is a disaster, or even a minor slip, which has just happened in Cwmtillery. They still cause masses of disruption for people,” he told Sky News.

“I’m no expert on the financial side of things, but clearly [the money’s] not enough to make these places safe.”

Mr Adams said the tip at Cilfynydd Common collapsed in 1939 and was seen as “a precursor to an Aberfan disaster”.

“Luckily no one was hurt, and no one was killed [in the 1939 slip],” he added.

“The same could quite easily happen again as nothing has changed with regards to the tips.”

‘First of its kind’ legislation

A Welsh government spokesperson said it had invested more than £100m in coal tip safety since 2021 “to ensure our coal tip communities are safe”.

“We have also introduced modern legislation – the first of its kind in the UK – to prevent disused coal and non-coal tips from being a threat to human life,” they added.

“The highest risk coal tips (category C and D) are regularly inspected by the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA) and we continue to work with partners across Wales to inspect sites, including additional checks during extreme weather.”

A spokesperson for the MRA (formerly the Coal Authority) said it continued to provide “support, expertise and advice” to the Welsh government.

“We undertake an inspection programme on behalf of Welsh government and other agencies, providing recommendations for maintenance requirements,” they added.

“We also continue to directly manage the 26 coal tips that the Mining Remediation Authority owns in Wales and provide management services to other landowners as needed.”

UK

Man arrested over wildfire that triggered ‘major incident’ in Northern Ireland

Published

9 mins ago

April 6, 2025

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Man arrested over wildfire that triggered 'major incident' in Northern Ireland

A man has been arrested by police investigating a “significant” wildfire that triggered a major incident in Northern Ireland.

More than 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were deployed on Saturday to Sandbank Road, Hilltown, to tackle the blaze which is believed to have been caused deliberately, fire chiefs said.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the fire had a front of approximately two miles “including a large area of forestry close to property”.

It was extinguished at 2.53am on Sunday and the major incident status lifted, the NIFRS said.

“The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate,” chief fire and rescue officer Aidan Jennings said.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Sunday that a 25-year-old man had been arrested “on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences”.

“He remains in custody at this time as enquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding the fire,” the force added.

Various fires erupted across England this week amid uncharacteristically warm and dry conditions for the time of year.

On Saturday, helicopters were deployed to tackle Scotland’s fourth wildfire this week, with police saying a blaze “which started in the Newton Stewart area has spread northwards and is expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire around 12am on Sunday”.

Police Scotland added: “As a precautionary measure members of the public are asked to avoid the Loch Doon area and anyone who may be camping in the area is advised to leave.”

Elsewhere in England, Devon and Cornwall Police said they were assisting the fire service with temporary road closures on the A30 in the Bolventor area as they tackle “a number of fires” on moorland.

In Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.

Separate incidents were then reported at Upton Heath in Poole on Wednesday, and nearby Canford Heath in the early hours of Thursday.

Friday was officially the warmest day of the year so far – with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23C (73.4F) – the highest since 21 September last year, according to the Met Office.

The weather conditions triggered a “severe” wildfire rating for parts of the UK on Tuesday.

UK

Man shot dead in Stanley, County Durham

Published

9 mins ago

April 6, 2025

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Police are investigating after a man was shot dead in County Durham.

Officers were called to an address in Elm Street, Stanley, at about 5.20pm on Saturday after reports of a “disturbance”, Durham Constabulary said.

A man in his 50s was found to have been shot and despite the efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His family have been told and are being supported by specially trained officers.

Specialist crime scene investigators are at the scene, and officers are carrying out house-to-house enquiries.

A cordon is in place and is expected to stay there for some time.

Detective Superintendent Neil Fuller said: “This is a truly shocking incident in which a man has been shot and has sadly died.”

He added: “Residents may see an increased police presence in the area. I would like to thank them for their support while we carry out this investigation.

“Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this time.”

Durham Constabulary has urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage or CCTV to contact the force.

UK

Furious row after Labour MPs denied entry to Israel – as Lammy criticises ‘disgraceful’ Badenoch response

Published

9 mins ago

April 6, 2025

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Furious row after Labour MPs denied entry to Israel - as Lammy criticises 'disgraceful' Badenoch response

A furious political row has broken out after two Labour MPs were denied entry to Israel and deported after being accused of planning to “spread anti-Israel hatred”.

Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were rejected because they were suspected of plans to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred”, according to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry.

Ms Yang, who represents Earley and Woodley, and Ms Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, both flew to the country from Luton on Saturday – and later said they were “astounded” by their treatment.

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The Israeli immigration ministry said the MPs were accompanied by two assistants on the trip and during questioning, they claimed they were visiting Israel “as part of an official parliamentary delegation”.

But Israeli officials said immigration officers found “no evidence to support the claim… they were travelling as part of an official delegation”. “No politicians or government officials were aware they were coming,” they added.

The Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) contradicted Israeli officials, saying the women were part of a “parliamentary delegation” on a trip organised by them and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips she was “not surprised” the MPs were detained and that “every country should be able to control its borders, and that’s what Israel is doing, as far as I understand”.

She said she was “very concerned” about the “rhetoric” on the Middle East from Labour MPs and six independents, and claimed there is “a lot of repeating of misinformation, repeating of conspiracy theories” during Prime Minister’s Questions.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticised Ms Badenoch’s comments, writing in a post on X: “It’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?.”

Ms Badenoch retorted, saying: “Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good Foreign Sec would be able to make that distinction.”

One of Ms Badenoch’s ministers Richard Fuller appeared to contradict her, however, telling Times Radio: “Any member of Parliament who goes on an official trip should be, I would think, welcomed in any country.”

Chair of the foreign affairs select committee Emily Thornberry MP described Israel’s treatment of the two women as an “insult to our country and to Parliament”.

In a joint statement, Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed said they were “astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities”.

“It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness, first-hand, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory,” they said.

“We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in Parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law. Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted.”

They said they had travelled to “visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank” with “UK charity partners who have over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations”.

Israel’s UK embassy said the MPs were denied entry because they had “accused Israel of false claims, were actively involved in promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers, and supported campaigns aimed at boycotting the state of Israel”.

It said the women “chose not to exercise their right under Israeli law to petition the court to reconsider the decision”.

As a result, they were “offered hotel accommodation, which they declined” and their return flight was covered by the Israeli state.

“The visit was intended to provoke anti-Israel activities at a time when Israel is at war and under attack on seven fronts. Its purpose was to harm Israel and Israeli citizens and spread falsehoods about them,” the statement added.

“The state of Israel has both the authority and the duty to prevent the entry of individuals whose presence in the country is intended to cause harm to its citizens – just as such authority exists in the United Kingdom.”

Earlier in a statement to Sky News, Mr Lammy said it was “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities”.

“I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support.

“The UK government’s focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza.”

In an interview with Sky News, Dame Emily Thornberry said her two colleagues are “highly intelligent, well informed” and “really well respected”.

“They speak on behalf of a lot of people,” said the Labour MP, warning Israel that instead of “alienating” and “humiliating” them it should “engage” with them.

She confirmed the women have landed back in the UK and that “they’ll be okay”. But she added: “I am so angry.”

Labour Friends of Israel said it was “wrong and counterproductive for Israel to refuse entry to British members of Parliament”.

“Over the years we’ve taken hundreds of MPs to Israel and Palestine; it’s vital parliamentarians are able to visit and understand the situation on the ground,” it said.