A UTILITY company has said it was responsible for a Barry Island route’s painted markings after the Vale Council admitted it didn’t know.

An enquiry from the Barry & District News revealed that Wales & West Utilities had painted red and yellow lines on recently-built Harbour Road causeway cycle path, after a gas leak was identified.

Simon James, Wales & West Utilities operational manager for Barry, said: ““We are currently working to repair a leak on our gas network on Harbour Road, Barry.

“We were alerted to a smell of gas in the area yesterday, January 16, and immediately sent a team of engineers to site. On arrival, they found a gas leak beneath the cycle path adjacent to the road and began to repair the pipe.

“As our work is focused on the cycle path, Harbour Road is completely unaffected and traffic is moving freely as normal. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect to complete our work by tomorrow evening, January 18.

“As part of our normal health and safety procedure, we use coloured paint to identify certain utility networks such as gas, electric and water. This is to help keep our people safe, as well as to not disrupt other utility networks, while we work.

“This paint is 100 per cent environmentally friendly and biodegradable and will wash away naturally within the next few days.”

Vale council cabinet member for building services, highways and transportation, councillor Peter King, said was aware of markings on the road.

He said: “These could have been made by a utilities company, who do not need formal permission from the council before undertaking such an exercise. The council has received no formal notice of any intention to carry out works in this location.

“The markings are excessive and that point will be stressed to those responsible should we discover their identity.

“However, the paint is believed to be biodegradable so should disappear in the very near future.”