Homes have been evacuated in south Wales after a street was closed off when a 20ft deep sinkhole opened up in a pavement.

Emergency crews were called to Coronation Terrace in Nantyffyllon, Maesteg, at around 8am on Thursday following reports someone had fallen in the hole.

Firefighters said a man had been “recovered prior to arrival” and did not need to go to hospital.

Residents from “six or seven” flats were told to leave their homes by emergency services after the hole emerged.

Highways inspector Neil Minchington told BBC Wales: “There’s about six or seven flats that were evacuated.

“We’ll assess the situation to see if it is safe to allow the tenants back in this evening.”

The cause of the sinkhole is being investigated by Bridgend Council.

Its appearance comes after heavy rain during Storm Frank but workers are also assessing whether old mining work may be responsible.

A spokesman for South Wales Fire and Rescue added: “We were called at 7.49am to reports a pavement had collapsed.

“There’s a two-metres-squared hole in the pavement extending to a large underground chamber.”

The Bridgend valleys was once home to several drift and coal mines and two large pits were based in a village up the road from Nantyffyllon.

Additional reporting by Press Association