SKATERS from around Carmarthenshire stormed County Hall to show their support for a new skate park in Tumble.

The Storm the Hall challenge was laid down by the leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, Emlyn Dole, to prove that there was an appetite for a site in the village.

More than 80 people turned out to fill seats in the council chamber and dozens more took part in activities beforehand.

Christine Davies, Community Development Officer at Llanon Council, who are supporting the project, said the event was a huge success.

She added: “It went really well. People were filling up the aisles which was great for the leader to see, to show just how many people were supportive of the idea.

“It was great to see so many young people come out to support the project, because it will make a real difference to them.

“There is a site in Haverfordwest but there is not a single site anywhere in Carmarthenshire.”

Ms Davies believes building the site in Tumble would not only benefit skaters in the immediate and surrounding areas, but also Tumble as a whole, particularly businesses.

She said: “The skate community is very big. Research shows that skate parks drastically lowers crime and anti-social behaviour rates.

“And people travel from all over to get to these places. It will be a complete transformation for the area. There will be millions of pounds brought in to the area, with shops seeing a big benefit, by basically digging a hole and filling it with concrete. That feels like a good idea to me.”

RIOT, the skate park committee group behind the campaign, are hoping to apply for a national lottery grant to help fund the £500,000 project.