STREET names, statues, and building names across Wales are to be reviewed as part of plans to "challenge" controversial aspects of the nation's history, including connections with the slave trade.

First minister Mark Drakeford has ordered an urgent "audit" of public landmarks, which will all be reviewed by a group with expert knowledge of the slave trade, the British Empire, and the history of black communities in Wales, a Welsh Government spokesperson said.

“This is not about rewriting the past – it is about reflecting it with the justice it deserves," Mr Drakeford said in a statement.

The audit has been commissioned following the recent Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, which have brought together activists and members of the public calling for an end to racial injustice and inequality.

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“The Black Lives Matter movement has brought to the fore a number of important issues we need to address as a country," the first minister said. "One is the need for Wales to reflect on the visible reminders of the country’s past.

"This is especially true when we look at the horrors of the slave trade."

Mr Drakeford said some historic buildings were "reminders of this painful period of our history" and "may appear to make heroes of historical figures whose actions we now condemn".

The recent BLM protests in the UK have included flashpoints of anger directed at statues – notably in London, where a statue of Winston Churchill was spray-painted; and in Bristol, where a statue to slave trader and philanthropist Edward Colston was taken down by demonstrators and pushed into the harbour.

The latter incident drew criticism, as well as support, continuing the long-running controversy over Colston's prominence in modern-day Bristol.

In Wales, Mr Drakeford said the new audit was not about "re-writing the past" but instead creating "a richer and more informed relationship with our history".

"We can find new stories and figures to celebrate," he added. "We can reflect a Wales that rightfully celebrates our diverse communities. This is what our past deserves and our present so rightfully demands.”

Landmarks with controversial connections were, he said, "commemorations of a past that we have not fully challenged and that we should challenge now".

Leading the Wales-wide audit will be Gaynor Legall, who advocates for ethnic-minority women.

A group of young people and communities will be consulted about the audit's findings, before it is decided what action will be taken.