Influencer who took bathtub up a mountain and left it there sorry for 'honest mistake'

A content creator who took a bathtub up a mountain and left it there has apologised for what he called an "honest mistake".

Tom Christopher, 25, posted footage online of him carrying the tub up Pen y Fan, in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park - also known as the Brecon Beacons - in flip-flops during hot weather on 17 July, before bathing in it at the summit.

Christopher, from Swansea, said he had planned to take it back down immediately, but people had asked him to keep it there so they could take pictures - sparking a backlash about its impact on the environment.

A day later Cardiff Rugby academy players found the tub while doing volunteering work, and handed it to park officials.

Christopher said he wanted to make a "cool, wholesome video which made people smile" by carrying the bath up Pen y Fan, which stands 2,907ft (886m) above sea level.

"It was a complete, honest mistake," Christopher said.

"I obviously didn't mistakenly leave it up there, I didn't forget. It was a mistake in the fact I thought I was doing the right thing with people telling me it was 'awesome' and 'cool'.

"I should never have left anything up the mountain. I'm glad the message of this story is that, even though I'm the villain, everyone's sticking up for the national park.

"It's a dirty mistake, I shouldn't be leaving anything up the mountain.

"It's my fault for thinking it was a good idea, when clearly I should have been thinking more about keeping our nature clean," he said.

After being urged by people to leave it there, he said he had planned to go back two days later and send it back down on wheels.

He said he had subsequently received many messages criticising him for leaving it there.

Christopher said he was told the incident had been reported as fly-tipping, and he was unclear if he would be fined.

"I haven't got the money. I'm in my overdraft, I haven't got the money to do anything.

"If it comes, I'll be gutted. I hope there's an option to do some voluntary work to try and pay the fine."

Cardiff Rugby academy players stumbled on Christopher's bathtub while carrying out essential maintenance work on the mountain, and helped rangers retrieve it.

Writing on Facebook, the academy described it as an "additional and unexpected team-building exercise".

A spokesperson for National Trust Cymru said its rangers helped the rugby players bring the bathtub down "due to the risk it posed to both visitors and the site of scientific interest [SSSI] with the potential for contamination".

The spokesperson said littering and fly-tipping "can cause significant harm to landscapes and wildlife", taking ranger teams "away from essential conservation work".

"We kindly encourage everyone visiting the mountains, countryside and coast in our care to simply 'leave no trace', so that everyone can enjoy these special places," they added.