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Family dog falls in garden sinkhole and dies

BBC Milo sits in his dog basket looking at the cameraBBC
Milo drowned after falling into a sinkhole caused by heavy rain and a collapsed culvert

A family have been left distraught after the "tragic" loss of their pet dog who drowned after falling in a sinkhole that opened up in their garden.

Milo, a 17-year-old terrier whippet cross, fell into the hole at the family home in Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys.

Simon Powell, who works as a builder, was doing some repair work at the time and said: "We'd been so careful but we were distracted. I'd just come in covered in mud after working on it, my wife was in the bath and the dog managed to find a way outside."

Heavy rain over the new year period and a collapsed culvert - a tunnel or structure that typically runs waste water under a road or railway - led to a large sinkhole opening up on Beulah Road.

This caused water to cascade from the family's back garden, creating a river through the town's car park.

Mr Powell said Milo was a lovely, good-natured dog, adding: "I know he was old but it was tragic to lose him like this."

He added that individual properties were responsible for the culvert which ran under the approximately 10 properties, but it was not something "that can be easily or quickly fixed".

Mr Powell added: "The culvert is 12ft under the ground and has been there for 150 years.

"I can't repair my section if either side is also creaking or falling apart. Neighbours would also need to do the work".

Powys council has installed a temporary pump to divert water back into the culvert, but said the responsibility for looking after land drains or watercourses "rest with property and landowners".

It added: "Where a land drain or watercourse is between property boundaries, each owner is jointly responsible. The council is only responsible where it is the landowner."

A sinkhole can be seen with a disconnected pipe on the right and a smattering of snow.
Simon Powell found his dog Milo at the bottom of the sinkhole in the family garden

The council said it would use its emergency powers to "provide assistance and advice when dwellings are flooded" while working to see what opportunities were for "owners and the community to develop a longer-term solution".

Town mayor Martin Pigott said he was worried as it was only a matter of time before the A483, one of the main roads through mid Wales, floods and leaves lorries unable to access the town.

He added: "The other roads around here are too small and there are railway bridges. I fear a major incident."

The Welsh government said it was committed to spending record levels funding on its flood programme, including £75m this year which will provide protection for more than 45,000 homes.