Families 'trapped' by 'rotting flesh' smell

The mound of material on Simonswood Industrial Estate has caused misery for residents in Kirkby

A campaigner said he and other residents feel "trapped" inside their Merseyside homes because the air smells of "rotting flesh".

Neil Dunne, from Kirkby, said the issue had been ongoing since late last year and he formed a campaign group to push for action.

Residents have made multiple complaints about a mound of material situated near the Simonswood Industrial Estate on Stopgate Lane.

The Environment Agency (EA) said it had issued an enforcement notice to an operator on the estate and asked them to remove excess waste.

'Won't let kids out'

The estate lies within the West Lancashire council area, but residents in Kirkby, which falls under Knowsley Council, have said they were impacted by the smell.

Mr Dunne said he knew of a person who suffered a "breathing attack" because of their reaction to the smell.

"Some parents won't let their kids out," he said.

"We're trapped in our houses and have to have our windows closed because the smell is so so bad."

He is part of a group who have called for better management of the site, regulation for human health and a contact point for people to make complaints about the specific site.

'So putrid'

The Local Democracy Reporting Service previously reported about a "rotten egg" smell over Kirkby in late March.

Another local resident, who did not want to be named, said: "It's making me and my family feel nauseous and it's putting us off our food.

"I am constantly fearing about the impact on my family's health."

Local resident Amy moved to the affected area about seven years ago after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but said the estate was a "nightmare".

She said: "My kids play out around here and come in when they smell it because it's so putrid."

Knowsley Council does not have any authority over the Simonswood Industrial Estate, but had received and responded to multiple complaints.

One reply from Knowsley Council said it had been working with West Lancashire and the EA after receiving multiple complaints about a smell like "rotten eggs" or "sulphur".

The letter also stated a business on the Simonswood Estate had been identified as the source.

A spokesperson for the EA said: "We will continue to deploy officers to assess the impacts of the odour within the community.

"We thank the public for their diligent reporting of this issue and encourage them to continue contacting our incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 when the odour is noticeable."