A "DISGUSTING" mess of tyres, fridge-freezers, old televisions and plastic bottles was cleared in a mass blitz of a Severnside beach which, it is hoped, will go towards prompting a new dawn for the nearby village community.

More than 80 people turned out to fill three skip-fulls of debris dumped by the tides on Sudbrook Beach in the shadow of the new Severn Bridge.

One of the local organisers, Sam Dunford, who lives in the village, says: "It was incredibly successful, far beyond what I'd ever hoped or expected."

Support came from Sudbrook itself, including the Black Rock Rovers footballers, Black Rock Lave Net Fishermen, members of Sudbrook Non-Political club and people from further afield like Caldicot, Chepstow, Shirenewton and Portskewett. Equipment and support came from Tidy Towns, a partnership of Keep Wales Tidy and Monmouthshire County Council. Sudbrook resident Colin Watts hauled out tons of debris with his quad bike and Maggs Evans, Bev Underwood and volunteer Andrew Inskip were all thanked for their efforts.

"It was disgusting really," says Sam. "Tidal action seems to congregate rubbish in a corner of an area between the beach below Sudbrook camp and old St Regis Paper Mill.

"We think it is the first time the area has been cleaned up in 27 years, so there was everything down there, from tyres and televisions to plastic bottles which were the biggest problem by far."

The clear up is the beginning of a drive to support a village which feels it has been "dumped on in the past".

Most of the village's Victorian terraces were built for workers constructing the Severn Tunnel and at one time the community boasted a primary school, orphanage and hospital. In the 1950's the paper mill dominated the village, with electricity pylons and then the Severn Bridge prominent in the surrounding fields.

Although there are continuing proposals for both housing and industrial usage of the paper mill site, the community is also striving to set up a community centre allied to the Non-Political Club. A gardening club, tackling the decommissioned branch rail line and creating an orchard area near the electricity sub-station, plus the conversion of a room in Sudbrook NPC as a heritage centre are the first projects.

To find out more and help revitalise the village get in touch with Sam Dunford on 01291 421859.