MORE than 100 gnomes and plastic animals were among five tonnes of belongings cleared from a hoarder’s garden in Trevethin.

Staff from Bron Afon Community Housing, Torfaen council’s ground force team and Cold Barn Farm volunteers worked for seven hours to de-clutter the five by six metre front garden and five by five metre back garden.

The garden belongs to Bron Afon tenant Percy Watkins, 73, who has lived in his home for nearly 30 years.

Mr Watkins’ motivation and interest in looking after his garden declined after the loss of his wife, Honor Catherine, six years ago.

He said: “My garden used to be nice but in the past few years I just kept putting things outside.

“Looking after the garden became too much for me and I suppose I became a bit of a hoarder.”

Community caretaker at Bron Afon, Paul Dullea, suggested that clearing the garden would make a difference to Mr Watkins’ well-being.

So, the team of 30 worked to fill two skips and three tipper trucks with various items including old furniture, wood and metal.

De-clutterer for Bron Afon, Gail Brusch, said: “It was like a farmyard with the amount of plastic animals we kept finding including sheep, pigs, squirrels, and a turtle. There was even a gang of gnomes recovered.”

Following the clearance work, Mr Watkins, said: “I never thought my garden would this tidy again. I’m very happy with the results and I can now use the space to sit outside in the summer.”

Teams will return later to dismantle the sheds and put a fence up around the property.

Mr Watkins plans to keep the garden tidy and he even wants to plant flowers in the new found space.