A practical joker who posted a photo of a famous Italian landmark pretending it was the Valleys fooled hundreds online - including a local tourist site. The culprit - the anonymous Rhondda-based artist known only as Bagsy - claimed to have even had requests for the shot to be used by a TV news programme to accompany its evening weather forecast.
The aerial night-time snap - actually depicting the world-renowned Valley of Lights, or Val Trompia, in the Province of Brescia - quickly began popping up all over social media. Among its appearances was on tourism advice centre Visit RCT's Facebook page, along with several other community sites.
On the Cynon Valley-based Hirwaun Chat it was posted by someone as being a drone-shot of "traffic going up to Rhigos through four-way traffic lights." Meanwhile, someone else was being duped over on FB's Pictures and Memories of Newport.
READ MORE: ‘We went from drowning in debt to earning a fortune making prank videos on TikTok’
This is the night-time shot of Val Trompia that fooled so many people
Initially describing it as being photo of 'Rhondda to Cardiff, nearly Newport', he later added the disclaimer: "This is Italy Not UK. Facebook lied to me."
Others also fell for the early April Fool's suggestion that Val Trompia's mountainous suburban sprawl was, in fact, an RCT gridlock. And, as a result, they were quick to chime in with their own traffic woes.
"It took me 10 mins from Aberdare to Springfield, all clear through Crosbychan - must have been lucky," posted one. Another added, "The village is like wacky races…bonkers."
The following day, however, Bagsy owned up to the jape. "I'm sorry, you know I like a giggle," he said. "It even made it to Visit RCT and people asking to use it on the weather."
"Well, you got me - not gonna lie," replied one person. "I can see now why so many Italians came and made a new home in the Rhondda."
"You had a few with this one," added someone else, while a third joked, "I was trying to work out if the blue lights pictured belonged to the Baglan field or Pentre Astro."
Modelling himself on Bristol-based guerrilla artist Banksy, Bagsy started out several years ago. His own take on street art involved him surreptitiously sketching different Rhondda landmarks on the sides of supermarket carrier bags.
Those one-off works quickly earned him notoriety and he's since gone on to establish a successful business dealing in Valleys-themed merchandise. Nevertheless, his identity remains guarded to all but a close circle of family and friends.
Read next:
