CLAIMS that Kidwelly's historic quay was shut down due to damage caused by boy racers have been slammed by the chairman of the town's motor club.
It was announced in October that the nature reserve, which had been subject to £200,000 regeneration work, had been put out of use due to potholes leaving it unsafe for visitors.
Kidwelly Town Council claimed the problem had been caused by "sub-standard" workmanship, but Carmarthenshire Council, whose contractors carried out the work, said the issues were a result of boy racers speeding around the car park.
Now chairman of Kidwelly Motor Club, Paul Davies, has waded into the row, declaring it an "easy way out" for the council to blame boy racers and insisting the problems were due to the materials used.
The 39-year-old, who lives in Ger y Gwendraeth, said: "We are totally against boy racers, but it's not them that have caused the damage.
"When you go down there the stuff on the ground is all over the tyres. It's a real mess. It is an easy way out for the council to blame it on boy racers, but the surface is rubbish and the area has really been ruined."
Councillor Fran Burke-Lloyd added that town councillors would be the first ones to know if there were any problems of boy racers in the area, as residents ring them routinely.
Watching
Mrs Burke-Lloyd said: "Before, if we have had any problems, I would drive down there — myself and Jeanette (Gilasbey, town mayor) — and park up to let people know we are watching them and take down their car registrations.
"We are not afraid to stand up for our area, but we have heard of nothing going on there. If there was a problem with boy racers up there we would know about it."
A meeting to discuss the issue was recently held between Carmarthenshire Council and the town council to discuss a way forward. Town clerk, Geraint Thomas said: "We had the meeting with the county where there was an exchange of views.
"We don't subscribe to the belief that boy racers caused the issues at the quay, we are of the belief that it was due to substandard materials used during the regeneration of the area."
The quay and its connected land along Kymer's Canal are seen as a little-known treasure for visitors.
Funding for the revamp scheme was granted by the Welsh Government in 2010, with long-term aims to regenerate the area and make the land around the estuary and along the canal more accessible.
Work carried out by Carmarthenshire Council contractors included car park improvements, landscaping, new paths and picnic benches.
In response, a Carmarthenshire spokesman said that the council stuck by its original statement that boy racers were responsible for the issue.