A large sinkhole that forced more than 30 homes to be evacuated is still growing, a council leader has said.

The void emerged on Nant Morlais in Pant, Merthyr Tydfil, on Sunday morning and council leader Brent Carter said on Monday that “more cracks are coming across the road and into walls and gardens”.

He estimated the hole was “probably 30-40ft (9-12m) deep and five metres (16ft) wide”.

Simon Williams, whose family owns the bungalow where the sinkhole appeared, said it could be months until residents of the cul-de-sac could return home and he felt “desperately sorry for all the residents who’ve had to get out of their homes just before Christmas”.

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Mr Carter said two landslides caused the problem, adding: "A couple of residents heard a loud bang.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t reported, so we couldn’t do anything immediately, but that looks like that’s what caused the collapse, when everything came down from the mountain and washed through the culvert.”

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Andrew Farrant, a BGS geologist, said the sinkhole likely resulted from a collapsed culvert and recent heavy rainfall, rather than a natural geological cause and it was “not just a case of filling the hole”.

He explained that repairs would involve stabilizing the void, excavating the site and reinstating the culvert to ensure the stream can flow safely.