Mysterious 10ft sink hole appears on rugby pitch in Blaenau Gwent

A 10-foot deep sinkhole has appeared on a rugby pitch in Blaenau Gwent.

The hole - situated near the try-line of Banna Park in Nantyglo - was discovered during maintenance work on Tuesday 3 March.

It is unclear exactly what caused the hole to appear, but it's believed it could be part of underground workings from historical coal mining in the area.

The local grounds have been closed to the public until further investigations can be carried out.

Russel Davies, the chairman of Nantyglo RFC who uses the rugby pitch regularly, says the hole could have a major impact on the club this season.

He said: "We found out on Tuesday that there had been an incident where a large hole had appeared on the field, but it was quite a bit worse than we expected.

"The hole itself looks to be around 10ft deep and goes into what could be a collapsed culvert or mine workings near the try-line at the Brynmawr end of the pitch."

An investigation into why the hole appeared has been launched by Blaenau Gwent Council.

Russel Davies said: "Obviously it's a big blow for the team here at Nantyglo as we will have to find another place to train and play in what has been a good season for us so far.

"It will also impact our thriving junior teams who use the park regularly as well, so we are all a bit gutted."

A representative from Blaenau Gwent Council said: "We attended the site straight away and further examination identified that the hole was quite deep.

"We contacted the Coal Authority as it was suspected there may have been underground workings from historic coal mining in the area. The Coal Authority attended on Wednesday, March 2 and are undertaking an investigation.

"The rugby pitch will remain closed for use at this time and we are continuing to communicate with representatives of Nantyglo RFC."