The once brilliant UK village that's now run down and completely 'forgotten'

A once thriving village is now run down and deserted according to locals, with barren punctuated with cans of Carling and Strongbow. Residents of Maerdy, in south , think they have been forgotten and lament the loss of the village's spirit before the major industries departed.

Maerdy, which is perched at the top of the Rhondda Valley and beneath the commanding Maerdy Mountain, is steeped in mining heritage. There is a grand mural that celebrates this industrial heritage at the intersection of Maerdy Road and Ceridwen Street, which shows a miner standing proud.

As reported by , there are now just a handful of shops, a chippy and the local pub, the Maerdy Hotel, in the village. Local tradesman Christopher Matthews is linked to the commissioning of the mural by his family's electrical business.

He said: "We are a mining community. If you had to put anything up about us it would have to be about the mines. A lot of my family were down the mines. Hopefully it will remind youngsters about where their grandfathers worked and how we are here. If it wasn't for the mines it would all probably be farmland now."

Around the night-time-illuminated mural are deserted streets. One local described them as "barren", which reflects the sense among communities across the south Wales valleys since their mines ceased operation.

Paul Comey, 63, who worked at Maerdy Colliery until its closure in 1990, said: "I went down the mine when I was 18 hoping I'd be down there until I retired. It was heartbreaking. I'm born and bred Maerdy.

"The colliery meant everything to the people here. When it closed I went to Tower Colliery (the last colliery to close in Wales in 2008). Those were great days, absolutely brilliant. Maerdy was a proper village. Everyone knew everyone, you could leave your front door open. Now you can't.

"All the shops have closed down other than a couple and the fish shop. If you can imagine, there used to be loads of shops here and the pubs and clubs were thriving. Now you have to move out of the village or be able to drive every day for work. It's been neglected."

Meanwhile, Tony Evans, 67, said that "life has changed immeasurably here". He added: "I do worry for my grandchildren - very much so. What will they do? When I was growing up we'd walk the mountain and we'd be happy.

"Now it's a harsher world for kids. It doesn't seem as safe. There are a lot of people struggling around here - a lot of people with depression too. Unemployed people and people struggling health-wise."

The chat with Tony was interrupted by two masked teens speeding past on electric bikes. Their engines drowned his words and he seemed visibly frustrated.

Wales grapples with a stark reality, as over 700,000 residents live in relative poverty. Rhondda Cynon Taf stands out with a worrying statistic of 552 people per 10,000 existing in poverty. Old coalfield communities bear the brunt, disproportionately feeling poverty's sting.

The area is further burdened with 22,000 individuals on Universal Credit and 6,000 on out-of-work benefits. A troubling 10.4% of adults of working age lack qualifications, overshadowing the 8.2% national average. A significant segment, a quarter of Wales' population, resides in these former coalfield zones.

Paul said: "And yet the only time I ever see a politician here is when they're back up for re-election." The local people are far from enthused about recent changes to benefits driven by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall and Chancellor Rachel Reeves

Meanwhile, First Minister Eluned Morgan provided no clear stance on Friday regarding her support or lack thereof for the UK Government's welfare cuts. Her silence comes after Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens' claim that Morgan backed the cuts.

Next year is set to be a pivotal one for Welsh politics, as the first Senedd election adopting proportional representation takes place. Current polls show a slight lead for Plaid Cymru with Labour and Reform UK shortly behind. Reform will target communities that feel neglected. Although reducing immigration isn't the key problem for local problems, it remains a hot topic among villages like Maerdy.

Local man Tony said: "If I have to predict at this point I would say that Labour will not be voted back in in the Rhondda next May. I do think Reform will rise here to be honest.

"From what I'm hearing they do seem to be popular. What I do wish is that these parties would be able to work together a little bit more for the sake of all of us."