IT looks perfect as a waterway for swans to sail down... but it’s actually the new Newport to Cardiff cycle route, currently suffering a flooding problem.

Keen cyclist Paul Turner uses the route to cycle to work in St Mellons from Duffryn, but says sometimes the problem is so bad he has to turn around.

The route was set to be finished July and people started using it accordingly but the council said work on the route had actually been delayed as engineering problems meant the bridge still needed to have an anti-slip surface applied.

“For this reason, the bridge was blocked off to prevent access but unfortunately people removed the obstruction. It has now been put back”, a council spokeswoman said.

Mr Turner said: “The unsurfaced section from Ty Mawr Lane to Celtic Horizons is soft and difficult to ride through, much softer than similar unsurfaced cycle paths commonly found on canal tow paths or old rail corridors.

“There are severe drainage problems with sections of it often being completely flooded. One section has been completely washed away exposing the plastic membrane. Another section has no top layer and consists of a very rocky surface. The entire section has overgrown verges reducing the effective width of the path from approximately three metres to one metre. Encounters with other users (horses, pedestrians or cyclists) result in a need to stop and move into the undergrowth.”

He sent in a photo of a swan enjoying one of the flooded sections saying: “When I approached it become aggressive and disgruntled. I chose to turn around rather than cause further distress putting an extra two miles on my journey.

“At present I am finding it unusable as a commuter route due to the narrow, soft, flooded nature of the path and choose to use alternative routes.”

Mr Turner described himself as a regular cyclist, using a cyclocross bike designed for winter use through wet muddy or snowy parks.

A council spokeswoman said: “Newport City Council had anticipated that the path would be fully open by the end of July.

“For this reason, the bridge was blocked off to prevent access but unfortunately people removed the obstruction. It has now been put back.

“The flooding issue is beyond the council’s control but a meeting is being held with Natural Resources Wales to if it can be resolved by a realignment of the sluice levels.

“The council would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by the delay.”