A GROUP of people who felt their village was starting to look a little down at heel following council cutbacks to rural street services decided it was time to do something about it.

The group of Felindre residents took matters into their own hands by tidying up the roads and pavements that run through the village, getting rid of a mass of moss, weeds, mud and other debris.

The project was organised by Shayne Price, Glenn Smith and Mic Rafferty, who are all members of the hall committee, with Andrew Crowley, of John Jones, Carmarthen, weighing in with heavy duty support in the form of a big road-sweeping lorry.

After building up a hunger and thirst with their efforts, the volunteers who took part in the clean-up were rewarded with a pub lunch at the village inn.

Costs for the clean-up were met by generous donations from villagers, notably Ed Slater and Richard and Diane Jeremiah, the new landlords of the Three Horseshoes pub.

Mic Rafferty said the work was necessary to stop the village’s appearance from going downhill. He said: "In the longer term, this scruffy neglect by Powys County Council of the needs of small rural communities, will sap community morale, nudge the flight into towns where services are better, increase the risk of accidents, create the conditions for more local flooding and impact negatively upon the vital tourist trade.

"Special thanks go to Lorna Evans for her excellent work contribution, to Joy Jones for the photography and to Richard and Diane Jeremiah for the pub lunch."