A FORMER coal miner turned author said his latest book reveals the truth behind the main problem afflicting the Amman Valley.

John D Evans said he named his latest work New Wine in Old Bottles because it reflects the reason that parts of the valley suffer depravation.

"I gave it that name for the simple fact that I have traced and examined the problems in the Amman Valley and it is the same problem which existed in the 1950s and 60s — depravation," he said.

Mr Evans, 64, was a coal miner for 20 years, who then did "a spot of teaching", before becoming Betws county councillor for 13 years.

He is originally from Penygroes but moved to Argoed Road, in Betws, with his wife Mair in 1973.

His latest book, which charts the history of the area from 1945 to 2010, was released two weeks ago and is his second published through Dinefwr Press. It is an update on his PhD, written in the late 1990s.

"This book covers the tinplate industry, the rail industry and it also looks at the population and how it has changed," he added.

"Over the past 12 years I have written more than 1,000 pages on the subject of the Amman Valley, between my PhD, this book and my other work, Betws New Drift Mine, which was also published by Dinefwr Press."