A TREE surgeon who is originally from Brecon is using his skills to help victims of the recent hurricanes that have battered the Caribbean.

Troy Elliott, who now lives in Ebbw Vale, is a professional arborist who is currently working with EOS Contracting on a utility contract.

He is part of the first deployment with Disaster Arborist Response Team (DART) International UK which is a specialist disaster relief charity helping to assist the Caribbean after the category five Hurricane Irma on Wednesday, August 30.

DART, which is in its third year, has previously helped with operations in the South Pacific, Asia and West Africa.

The first deployment, which will be in the Caribbean for two weeks, was initially delayed by hurricane Maria, also a category five, which started on Saturday, September 16.

DART is an organisation which brings professionals from the UK arboricultural industry together so they can donate their skills and experience to help clear trees following natural disasters which helps to open safe rescue and supplies routes.

Dart volunteer Jenny Long said: "The present situation in the Caribbean is exactly what we’ve trained for.

"We have learned that by delivering training and donating equipment like chainsaws, timber milling equipment and personal protective equipment, we can rebuild livelihoods and make some of the most vulnerable communities in the world more resilient to future disasters."

"Local community leaders and volunteers really value the service our teams deliver, but more importantly they’ve demonstrated a real appetite for earning the skills themselves."

You can follow DART’s progress on their website or their Facebook page.