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Nearly 5,000 visitors flocked to Risca as the town held its first ever ‘Beach Party’.

Around 130 tonnes of sand was used to transform Tredegar Park into a summer paradise on Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29.

Buckets, spades, deckchairs and picnic blankets adorned the park, where a giant sandpit had been created.

The free annual event, which is organised by Caerphilly County Borough Council, was held in Blackwood before the pandemic.

According to the council, around 1,500 visitors passed through Risca town centre during the event.

Numerous food and drink stalls and funfair rides were set up, with activities such as face painting and slime workshops available for the children.

Tara Holloway, from the We Connect Coffee Shop and Pantry on Tredegar Street, Risca, said: “The beach day was fabulous and the amount of people enjoying the park was wonderful to see.

“We ended up staying open two hours past our usual closing time due to the number of people coming through the door and had our biggest sales on that day since we opened.

“It has meant a lot to us as a non-profit organisation and enabled a lot of people who haven’t been in the shop to come along. I felt it put us on the map a little.”