Concerns have been raised after a "smelly" and "oily" substance was spotted at a Neath beauty spot. Skewen resident Robert John Boucher was enjoying a leisurely walk along the Tennant Canal on Tuesday evening when he spotted "oily slick black soil".
On closer inspection, Robert found that the oily mess had a strong "foul" smell and appeared to have spread quite a distance along the side of the canal. In a video of the scene, which you can watch at the top of this article, he explained: "All this [area] is full of oil, oily soil. It absolutely reeks. It's all been dumped here, next to a little trench which goes into the River Neath. Absolutely stinking, it's foul, absolutely horrible... It goes for the best part of a mile."
However, it is understood the substance is the result of planned maintenance work to clear a culvert, which prevent contaminated water entering the canal, and is necessary for flood prevention. The oil and smell has been described as a disturbance of sour ground.
