Flock of sheep take over Godre'r Graig village causing chaos in local gardens and roads

Around 30 sheep have been roaming the village for the past month. Credit: Media Wales

A flock of sheep have taken over a Welsh village with around 30 animals causing havoc in local gardens and nearby roads.

One local dad in the village of Godre'r Graig in Neath Port Talbot said the situation had been "going on for at least four or five weeks".

Stephan Jones, who lives on Gnoll Road in the area, said his children were no longer able to play outside due to the "mounds of sheep muck" in their family garden.

"I got up one morning and there was two sheep in the garden, so we shooed them on and they just keep coming back and back and back", the 37-year-old explained.

Councillor Rosalyn Davies said she had been trying to deal with the problem since March 6. Credit: Media Wales

He said around 30 sheep had been roaming free around the streets for the past month: "They're everywhere. There's two that like my garden, but other people have different groups that go in their gardens. So they're setting up camp in different homes.

"The whole village is full of them now, there's probably 30+ feral sheep. There's literally mounds of sheep muck and it's everywhere.

"They're eating the hedge as well. We've got a really mature hedge and they've ripped holes in it through to next door. It's a nightmare but we've given up chasing them away now, because we chase them away and they've got nowhere to go, so they just come back."

Many residents are also concerned with the roaming sheep who have been spotted in the middle of the local roads and near the A4067 bypass.

Some sheep have been spotted in very poor condition with locals concerned about their welfare. Credit: Media Wales

Councillor Rosalyn Davies for the Godre'rgraig ward, who has been dealing with the issue since March 6, explained: "I'm surprised that there hasn't been an accident to be honest.

"We have been trying to find out the owner, we did think it was a certain farmer but it's not who we thought it was. It's been ridiculous, they've been going into gardens, damaging things. A dry wall was knocked down in one house and they've been eating hedges and plants. It's been a long time.

"It's not fair on the sheep either. It's not their fault", she added.

Mr Jones almost hit some of the animals whilst driving recently as he explained: "I was driving around the corner doing about 20mph and there was a ewe and a lamb running down the street in the middle of the road, I nearly went into them."

He added that he saw one sheep in very poor condition with a matted fleece: "He looks in a pretty bad way. As much as they are a pest, I do feel sorry for them. It's not their fault, they've got nowhere to go. But at the end of the day, the owner needs to take responsibility and sort it out."