Residents fear Stanlow oil refinery smell has impacted health

Essar Oil UK said air quality was being monitored at Stanlow oil refinery

People living near an oil refinery have said they fear an "obnoxious smell" coming from the site has had an impact on their health.

Ella O'Neill, who lives near Stanlow in Ellesmere Port, said locals had been suffering from coughs, sore throats and headaches since the smell began.

Essar Oil UK, which runs the site, said it was monitoring air quality and was sorry for "ongoing issues with odours".

It said it related to an incident with a tank on-site more than a week ago.

Ms O'Neill said a strong smell of gas had forced her to keep her windows and doors shut and she had not let her two-year-old son play outside for more than two weeks.

"As soon as you open a door or window, you can smell it," she said.

Ella O'Neill, 28, believes she has a chest infection caused by the odour

"The smell is so bad. We still don't know what has leaked and who knows what we are breathing in."

She said she believed her current chest infection and breathing issues had been caused by the stench.

"I'm 28, I don't smoke, I've never had breathing issues or a bad chest and I've been on antibiotics for five days and have still got a cough," she said.

'Significant progress'

Mother-of-two Chloe Haveron, who has asthma, said she felt "like a prisoner" in her own home and it was "concerning" there had been no advice or guidance from Essar.

"The smell is obnoxious," she said.

"Every time you open the door, it's in your face, it's in the back of your throat. It makes me feel dizzy.

Mother-of-two Chloe Haveron said she feels like a prisoner in her own home

She said her "main concern" was whether it was safe for her children to play outside.

"Is it going to have an impact on my health?" she said.

"We don't know."

Essar Oil UK said "significant progress" had been made in addressing the issue, which related to a "single tank" on the site, and it hoped the issue would be "be fully resolved by the weekend".

The company said it was working with the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive and monitoring of air quality had shown the odours were reducing and no additional action was necessary.

"The Environment Agency has visited our site to assess the situation and we are providing them with regular updates," a representative said.

They added that the firm would keep residents updated about any subsequent progress.