AN AWARD winning community group has spoken out against the "mindless" arsonists who torched a pile of rubbish under a city bridge just days after it had been gathered by a group of dedicated volunteers.

Volunteers from the Pride in Pill group, who were awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to the community, rang in the new year with a litter pick on the Usk river front and under George Street Bridge last Sunday (December 30).

A team of 14 volunteers spent the day gathering 116 bags of rubbish, 21 hypodermic needles, one kitchen knife and five pairs of scissors.

Around 50 bags were left piled under George Street Bridge, along with 21 that were full of waste that had been fly-tipped under the bridge over the Christmas period, explained a Pride in Pill spokeswoman.

But today (Wednesday, January 2) the group were horrified to find the pile had been set alight.

"My husband cycled to work this morning at 6am, and he found that the rubbish we had collected under George Street Bridge had been set on fire," the spokeswoman said.

"It's so disheartening to think that someone would commit such a mindless act.

"It's so dangerous, it's still smouldering.

"It's just such a mindless act."

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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were called out twice to refuse fires in the area.

The first call came at 8.34pm on Tuesday, January 1, while the second came at 11.14 today (January 2).

The fire service attended with one crew from Maindee.

A fire service spokesman added: "Deliberate fire setting is highly dangerous and a crime, if you see any suspicious activity call 101.  In an emergency call 999."

Gwent Police have confirmed they are investigating the incidents.

A spokesman added: "Anyone with information can contact us on 101, quoting log 594 of 1/1/19."

The Pride in Pill group have collected a staggering 185 tonnes of rubbish from the city’s streets in 2018, taking the total weight collected in the last three years to 590 tonnes.

 

(The volunteers who collected the litter underneath George Street Bridge)

But, as impressive as the numbers sound, they only scratch the surface of what Pride in Pill has achieved over the last year.

In 2018 the group set up a successful three month pop-up hub that served as a food bank and a drop off point for donations. They erected a fence under George Street Bridge, with the help of Newport City council, to tackle problems around drug taking.

READ MORE: Pride in Pill have collected 590 tonnes of litter since 2014

The Wrap Up Newport campaign, organized by Pride in Pill, saw 2,348 coats collected and given to local homeless charities, while the group also offered free haircuts for the city’s homeless.

Two food bank collections were given to Stow Park Community Church, along with items collected by Coleg Gwent Newport and Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints on Pride in Pill’s behalf.

The community group put on three coach trips, twice to Birmingham and once to the Hyde Park Christmas Wonderland.

And Pride in Pill still found time to win the Pride in Gwent environmental award and be nominated for the National Diversity Award 2018.