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Nearly £1m was spent by the Welsh Government buying two properties affected by the proposed route of the M4 relief road just two months before it scrapped the project.

Since 1995 more than £15m has been spent on the compulsory purchase of 29 properties affected by the scheme to relieve congestion around Newport.

Fourteen of those properties remain vacant.

The Welsh Government said many will be sold when market conditions are right.

The most recent purchases were houses in Coedkernew, south west of Newport, which cost £575,000 and £400,000 each and were bought by the Welsh Government in April 2019.

First Minister Mark Drakeford announced that the M4 relief road would not be built because of cost and environmental concerns on 4 June 2019.

The Welsh Conservatives, who obtained the figures through the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, said it suggested a "shambolic decision-making process within the heart of the Welsh Government".

Russell George, the party's economy spokesman, said: "The Welsh Labour-run Government has, once again, expected the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the vast sums of money spent on a project it later sank."

In a FOI request seen by BBC Wales, the Welsh Government said: "We are unable to tenant some properties due to their current condition, however where possible, these properties will be brought up to standard and advertised for rent this financial year."

Seven of the 29 properties bought over the last 25 years have been sold for around £2.1m and eight have been rented out so far.

Six of the 29 properties were purchased prior to devolution in 1999.

Mr George said millions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been "frittered away, and worse still there is nothing to show for it".

A Welsh Government spokesman said "Many of these are assets with value that will be disposed of when market conditions are right.

"Land and buildings purchased before devolution would have been under the authority of the Wales Office as part of the UK government."