WORK has finally begun to repair a shopfront which was badly damaged when two cousins smashed a car into it more than a year ago.

Last month, Leejay Richards, 23, and Lee Richards, 18, both of Llandovery Road, Llanwrtyd, were sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court for the incident in January 2020.

At the time Recorder Simon Mills said it was "as bad an example of aggravated vehicle taking as you can imagine", adding that it had deprived a rural community of a "significant resource" as the shop was closed just before the lockdown period.

The incident caused between £300 and £400k of damage, and the shop has remained closed for more than a year – to the frustration of local people.

Progress so far has seen the modern sign on the shop front removed, revealing an old-fashioned sign underneath saying ‘Welcome! Croeso!’, but so far little else has changed.

The former shop is still surrounded by a protective metal fence and the cones and temporary traffic-lights continue to hold up traffic in the street outside.

Local people say the lights have been in place now for over a year and many residents regard them as a nuisance. Even with the reduced amount of traffic due to lockdown, the noise and pollution caused by cars, vans and heavy lorries idling then revving up as they pull away from the lights is "unbearable".

People also report drivers objecting to waiting at the lights and drivers take a risk and guess when it’s safe to pull out from Zion Street and Irfon Terrace.