The huge sinkhole that appeared on a street in Merthyr Tydfil made news across the world. One of the biggest to appear in Wales, the void engulfed part of a road, a pavement and a huge chunk of the driveway belonging to the family of Love Island star Liam Reardon during Storm Bert on December 1.
It hit national headlines including Fox News in America which described it as large enough to swallow double decker buses. Horrifyingly over several days it kept growing to be 40ft deep. For the latest Merthyr Tydfil news, sign up to our newsletter here
Contractors worked tirelessly to secure the sinkhole temporarily, while a long-term plan was drafted and agreed upon. Previously we spoke to civil engineer Paul Edwards – managing director at Edwards Diving Services (EDS) – who was involved in making the area safe. He said permanent works would start in January, which would last for at least 100 years.
On Thursday, January 9 a spokeswoman for Merthyr Tydfil council confirmed that the permanent works are now underway. Photographer Richard Swingler went along on Saturday to capture the progress so far. Here are 10 pictures showing the current state of the site.