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'Oh Keir' - Why a giant Nessa mural appeared on a beach

Saf Suleyman / Greenpeace An image of Nessa from Gavin and Stacey scrawled into the sand at a beach in Port Talbot.Saf Suleyman / Greenpeace
The mural was etched into the sand overnight by climate campaigners

A mural depicting the Gavin and Stacey character Nessa asking the prime minister "what's occurring?" appeared overnight on a beach in Port Talbot.

The 50m (164ft) artwork was created by the campaign groups Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion, who said the aim was to "send [Sir Keir] Starmer a message about the future of UK steel".

The second of Tata Steel's two blast furnaces at its Port Talbot site will close at the end of the month, with about 2,000 jobs set to be lost.

The UK government reached a “new and improved deal” with Tata Steel, offering a £500m subsidy towards a £1.25bn electric arc furnace at the site.

Saf Suleyman / Greenpeace An image of Nessa from Gavin and Stacey scrawled into the sand at a beach in Port Talbot.Saf Suleyman / Greenpeace
The mural in the sand was created by campaign groups Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion

The planned electric arc furnace will melt scrap steel or iron to produce steel.

However, it will no longer be able to produce new, or virgin, steel.

Greenpeace UK campaigner Paul Morozzo said he was urging the prime minister "to keep steelmaking at home, rather than rely on imported steel".

“Proper investment in UK green steel production would help our renewable energy supply chain whilst supporting workers and communities in places like Port Talbot and Scunthorpe," Mr Morozzo said.

Kristian Buus / Greenpeace People with rakes etch huge letters into the sand on a beach.Kristian Buus / Greenpeace
The sand art took several hours to create

Tata has agreed to look at future investment opportunities in Wales, which are thought to include the potential for wind turbines to be made in South Wales at a new plate mill.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said the UK government was "working in partnership with trade unions and business to secure a green steel transition that’s both right for the workforce and delivers economic growth".

“We will publish a steel strategy next spring that will set out a long-term vision for a bright and sustainable steel sector and will work in lockstep with our industrial strategy – which will ramp up investment and create more well-paid jobs right across the supply chain," they added.