ANGRY Argoed residents formed a committee at a village meeting tonight to address concerns that former prisoners are being housed in their community.

About 50 people attended a residents' meeting, which the press were banned from attending, at Argoed Reform Club.

The meeting was organised after calls were made to close the Sirhowy Arms Hotel, a B&B for the homeless, after ex-offender Matthew Williams, 34, killed 22-year-old Cerys Yemm in the early hours of November 6.

Williams was released from prison only three weeks earlier.

It is alleged Williams was committing an act of cannibalism, but Gwent Police have refused to confirm or deny the allegation.

Williams was eventually tasered and arrested while attacking Miss Yemm, and later died in police custody.

High Street resident and committee member Phylip Sollis said after the meeting that a committee of eight or nine people had been agreed.

He said: “There was a lot of anger there tonight, there was a lot of hot air.

“It’s not really getting anywhere so people have all agreed the people to take it forward.”

He added that the committee plan to hold regular meetings, lobby MPs, speak to councillors and “complain as much as possible”.

He added: “It’s not just about the Sirhowy, there’s others in this area. We’re angry about them all.

“It’s the type of person that comes here, there are burglaries in the area. There’s anti-social behaviour.

“It’s a lovely area, kids enjoy playing outside but they don’t feel safe.

“There was someone who said their 11-year-old hadn’t slept since this [the murder] happened.

“It’s a happy community. The Sirhowy itself used to be a local pub.”

Another High Street resident Susan Gibbs, 71, said she hoped for more supervision and a “vetting process” if residents could not get the hotel closed.

After last night’s meeting she said: “It was a very good meeting. We’ve formed a committee which is what we wanted. They can take it from there now.

“We had a few disagreements but now we’re all together. I think it’s going to work now. Everybody was a bit heated for a while but they soon calmed down when we all wanted the same thing.

“We were told they can’t shut the place down, it’s private property but we’ve got to get something done.

“The next thing is a meeting with the council I think.

“It’s not the fact that people are in there. It’s who they are putting in there. We’ve got kids in this village. They’ve got to be vetted or supervised properly.”

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: “The village is too small to support it. It’s a big three-storey hotel, there are only 12 houses in the street.

“Most of the people in the meeting would like to see it closed if it’s possible.”

Sirhowy Arms Hotel owner Mandy Miles, who did not attend the meeting, previously said that she had no knowledge of Williams’ previous conviction of violently assaulting his ex-partner.

Of the campaign to get the Sirhowy Arms Hotel closed, Mrs Miles previously said: “They can’t hold me responsible. What do they want me to do, put them out on the street? Isn’t it better if they’re contained? They are safer here with supervision than out on the streets.”