Merthyr Tydfil sinkhole road residents can return home for Christmas

The residents of a street evacuated due to a large sinkhole have been told they can return to their homes in time for Christmas.

The sinkhole appeared on 30 November and meant the residents of 29 properties, including a former Love Island winner, had to leave their homes due to safety concerns.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has confirmed the sinkhole in Nant Morlais has now been filled.

Residents received the news on Wednesday and the council said it is working with contractors on a permanent solution.

Liam Reardon, 25, who won the 2021 series of Love Island alongside girlfriend Millie Court, 28, said he and his family had only moved into their new home "a few months ago".

Speaking on the pair's podcast, Liam & Millie, he said the driveway "started eating away" while the family were having breakfast.

He also said he had driven over the area where the sinkhole appeared only a matter of hours before it emerged.

"Luckily the tarmac didn't break as I drove over it because I'd have ended up in a hole," he said.

Mr Reardon and his family were staying at an Airbnb after they were forced to leave the property.

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Council leader Brent Carter said the sinkhole had resulted from "the sheer volume of material that was washed down from the mountain during Storm Bert".

The council said it will share more details on the longer-term solution in the new year.