A pensioner who has helped in the past to rescue people who have fallen into the River Usk is calling for a barricade placed over a ladder which stops access to the river in Brecon to be removed.

Rob James, who lives in The Avenue in Brecon, feels the barricade could cost the emergency services and other potential rescuers “precious time” if someone falls into the Usk, which could have potentially fatal consequences.

The ladder, which is on the flood prevention wall at the car park on Dinas Road near Christ College is based at a dangerous part of the river where he says there have been deaths before.

The steel barrier, which is bolted to the wall with a solid lock, is accompanied by a sign from Natural Resources Wales which warns of a sudden drop. However there is no information about who the key holder is or who to contact should the ladder be needed.

Mr James said: “That ladder was put there to give access to the river during a rescue if somebody has fallen in. Now it’s blocking the emergency services or anyone accessing the river if there is an accident.

“Even for the police or the fire brigade officers, it would be a real struggle to get over that so they would either have to find the key holder or go around.”

The 75-year-old explained that with the steel barrier in place, anyone looking to help somebody in difficulty in the river would have to run down the side of Christ College to get around the wall, which is about four and a half feet tall, using up “valuable” minutes.

He also said that it would possibly require two people to get around the wall and successfully rescue someone as quite often there needs to be someone on land pointing out where the people struggling in the water are.

The ex-Sennybridge Sub Aqua Club member said the time could be the difference between life and death for people who have fallen in the Usk.

Speaking about a rescue he helped with when he was younger, he said: “It was a long time ago now, but the river was in flood and three children had fallen in the river.

“I was the only one who could swim so I went in and I got one out alive, but by the time I’d gone back in the second one had drowned.

“We tried artificial respiration but she’d died. I went back in and tried to look for the third but she’d sunk and her body had to be retrieved by police divers later on.

“This is what I mean about time. It’s so easy for kids to fall in along there, or anyone for that matter.”

Mr James also assisted with another two unsuccessful rescue attempts, one on the Wye involving a canoeist and another in the Elan Valley.

He said: “I think it’s why I feel so strongly about this – I know how important time is in these situations.”

“People have lost their lives in the river, but no one has fallen off that wall. What are they going to do next, put a fence all around the river until it joins the sea?”

Mr James said he feels it is a matter of urgency that the barrier is removed.

If an emergency were to occur in the river on the side closest to Christ College where the ladder barricade is, he said it could create more chaos as people would be trying to run round the wall while others would be ringing the emergency services just to find out who holds the key for the ladder.

The pensioner has further claimed that putting up the steel barricade is a waste of money by Natural Resources Wales.

He said: “Somebody has made this decision from Natural Resources Wales, a public body, who is looking to spend the budget and occupy their time.

“I don’t understand it. I just don’t believe it. It really is stupidity of the highest order.”

Mr James has written a letter to the Brecon & Radnor Express about the barricade and sent copies to Brecon and Radnorshire MP Chris Davies and the Brecon Neighbourhood Police Team asking for something to be done.

Meanwhile Natural Resources Wales have admitted they were responsible for putting up the barricade and say it was necessary to protect the public.

An NRW spokesman said: “We maintain 319 miles of flood defences in Wales to reduce the risk of flooding for 73,000 properties.

“The ladder on our flood asset on the River Usk in Llanfaes was blocked to stop people climbing onto the defence, ensuing their safety.

“The Fire and Rescue Service should still be able to access the river during an emergency using their own equipment.”

You can read Mr James’ letter in this week’s edition of The Brecon & Radnor Express.