The Labour-dominated town council of Blaenavon has backed an independent Wales.

The valleys town, which has nine Labour councillors, two independents, and one Plaid Cymru, voted to support independence at a meeting tonight.

“I’m pleased to pass on the information that Blaenavon town council has adopted by a majority a proposal that we support moves towards an independent Wales,” Councillor Gareth Davies said.

“The boundary for support in Gwent is now just 14 miles from the border with our English friends and neighbours.”

He said that the motion was cosponsored by himself on behalf of Labour and Gareth McCann, the Plaid Cymru councillor.

The town of Blaenavon, home to 6,000 people and most famous as the home of the Big Pit Heritage Site, is the first council in Gwent to support independence.

A Welsh independence march in Merthyr Tydfil, 16 miles away, attracted 5,000 campaigners at the beginning of the month.

Caerphilly, Aber Valley and Llanbadrach and Pwyllpant councils were the first in south-east of Wales to back independence.

Crymych, Clydach and Llandysiliogogogo have done so in south-west Wales.

In the north-west, Gwynedd County council has backed independence, as have 17 town and community councils.

Machynlleth in Powys was the first ever to declare for Welsh independence, on the 28th of May.