COFFINS are being carried along a Pontypool lane be-cause hearses cannot reach the homes 'marooned' by a pot-holed road.

Residents in eight cottages on an unadopted, un-named lane in Old Furnace have revealed how three coffins had to be carried along the road before funerals could take place in recent years - distressing the families.

One of those whose coffin had to be carried was Chris Garrett, who died at the age of 35 three-and-a-half years ago from testicular cancer.

His widow Susan, 36, has also revealed how Mr Garrett, who also left a son Benjamin, now nine, and a daughter Katie, six, was carried along the street and once had to walk through the snow to an ambulance to take him for his cancer treatment. The ordeal took him a week to recover from.

And earlier this year during the funeral of one woman, a hearse which tried to negotiate the road crashed into a telegraph pole.

Now residents are calling for action to repair the road so that none of their other neighbours have to suffer the same indignity.

For many years, the lane has been a no-go area for ambulances, hearses and other service vehicles.

Mrs Garrett said: "When my husband was ill he had to be carried down the lane to get him to hospital because the ambulance couldn't get through.

"On one occasion during the winter he had to walk through the snow to the ambulance and had to go to bed for a week to recover."

The final indignity came for the family when Mr Garrett's coffin had to be carried to a hearse which could not make its way up the lane.

Bob Phillips, 67, who is leading the residents' campaign, moved to the cul-de-sac off Parkes Lane 20 years ago. He said: "The council has forgotten about this place and has left us marooned.

"A few months ago a hearse did try and come up for a coffin but it ended up crashing into a telegraph pole."

Resident Frank Beams, 72, added: "We've got to carry the coffins down the street." Mr Phillips claimed the council promised to adopt the lane if it was found not to belong to anyone, which would make them responsible for maintaining it - but was then told the authority only processes cases such as this twice a year and that his was at the bottom of a very long list.

A spokesman for Torfaen council said: "We can't spend public money to maintain private streets for which we have no responsibility.

"But, under the private streets works code, the council can carry out repairs and formally adopt a private street.

"The council are making bids for money to do so at no cost to residents and this street will be added to the list for future bids."

*PICTURED: Residents of Old Furnace, Pontypool, worried about the state of the lane are (from left) Bob Phillips, Roy Davies and Frank Beams.