Police step up patrols after reports of wildlife being harmed along historic canal

Police officers are carrying out patrols along a section of a historic Welsh canal following reports of wildlife being deliberately harmed.

Gwent Police’s Torfaen Officers posted the update from the Pontypool Neighbourhood Policing Team to Facebook late on Saturday (3 January).

They explained that Police Community Support Officers had been conducting patrols along the Pontypool stretch of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.

The patrols began after they received multiple reports from concerned residents alleging slingshots being used to cause injury to wildlife in the area.

The team requested that anyone who has witnessed or has knowledge of these incidents make a report via 101 or 999.

The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal dates back to the 1790s, and the navigable section stretches around 36 miles from Brecon to Cwmbran.

There is a further seven miles of unnavigable canal leading to Newport, and seven miles leading to Cwmcarn on the Crumlin Arm.

Once used to transport iron ore, coal, and lime, the canal is now a popular spot for walking, cycling, and wildlife watching.

Considered one of the most scenic waterways in the UK, it is home to several native species including mallards, moorhens, kingfishers, swans, butterflies, dragonflies, and frogs, as well as more elusive mammals like otters, voles, and bats.

Commenters expressed their gratitude to Gwent Police community support officers, writing: “Thank you, we really need to protect our countryside and wildlife.” Another agreed, “Thank you Gwent Police. We really appreciate your support.”

For more information about the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, visit the Canal and River Trust site here.