A TV presenter from Ammanford has revealed he was subjected to racist comments while growing up.

Ameer Davies-Rana has backed calls to remove a Carmarthenshire monument to slave trader Sir Thomas Picton.

It comes as Carmarthenshire county councillors voted in favour of a motion which makes clear the authority's abhorrence of racism, prejudice and discrimination - past and present.

Street names and monuments across the county including the Carmarthen statue are to re-evaluated.

Mr Davies-Rana, 23, said he suffered racist comments "from an early age" while growing up.

"In primary school, I was the only person of colour, so it made me question my identity. In secondary school, racism was thrown in my face with the p-word and n-word," he said.

The council's motion supports the Black Lives Matter message and pledges to work with black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities to identify and eradicate racism in Carmarthenshire.

A cross-party task and finish group will be set up to take the work forward, and efforts made to include colonialism, exploitation, discrimination and racism in Wales’s new school curriculum.

The Picton statute is on Picton Terrace, Carmarthen.

Mr Davies-Rana said: "Personally, I think we should get rid of them. We are in a new day and age. Racism is not tolerated, regardless of who you are."

He recalled one incident in Carmarthen, when he was passing a group of children "shouting the n-word".

"I couldn't believe it. As soon as I turned a corner, I burst out crying," he said.

At the Carmarthenshire council meeting, Cllr Cefin Campbell, who spoke in support for what was an amended motion, said: "Action is the only remedy to indifference."

He said people from BAME communities in the UK were more likely to be stopped and searched, arrested, and die from Covid-19 and less likely to be employed and get social housing.

“When it comes to race, we should all be colour blind,” he said.

The amendment to Cllr Liam Bowen’s motion was put forward by Cllr Fozia Akhtar, who said it was important the council identified the needs of BAME communities.

“It’s something I’m passionate to follow through,” she said.

Cllr Glynog Davies cited the experiences of Ameer Davies-Rana.

“I am sure we all agree that we will do our best to improve this unacceptable situation,” said Cllr Davies.

The approved motion, which will also celebrate the contribution of BAME communities during Black History Month in October, will now go before the council’s executive board.

The Carmarthenshire branch of union Unison has called on the Picton memorial in Carmarthen to be removed.

It said: “There should be no delay or prevarication over this by the council – if they are against racism then they should remove what is in effect a commemoration of a racist now.”

Adam Price, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, has endorsed the action taken by the council.

Mr Price said: “The work of the council to produce this detailed response is highly commendable. The ambition here is great to see, and I congratulate the council on how they’ve chosen to tackle this critical issue.

"I wholly agree with the statements made by Councillor Bowen, and am very glad to see that the BAME community in Carmarthenshire will be a key partner in their work. “