Waste licence suspended at fire-hit battery plant

Firefighters spent two nights tackling the blaze in Kilwinning

A battery recycling plant in Ayrshire that caught fire earlier this year has had its waste management licence revoked.

Environment agency Sepa suspended Fenix Battery Recycling's license as part of an "enhanced package of enforcement action".

Firefighters spend two nights tackling the blaze at the Kilwinning site in April.

SEPA said the firm was now required to remove any waste that breaches the license to another facility.

Sepa chief operating officer Lin Bunten said: "We partially suspended Fenix Battery Recycling Ltd’s licence last year when it failed to comply with a previous enforcement notice we served.

"We will not hesitate to take further action, in line with our enforcement policy, as required."

Fenix Battery Recycling must meet guidelines including removing fire debris, repairing damaged infrastructure and implementing a fire prevention and mitigation plan.

The firm has been given until 4 June to remove all unprocessed waste batteries that have been left at the site for over six months.

All treated and unprocessed waste is to be removed by 13 July.