Radstock scrapyard which caused noise 'misery' to close

Environment Agency experts said the noise from the site was causing "misery" for nearby residents

A scrapyard that caused "misery to local people" must close down.

Residents living near Bidwell Metals Ltd (BML) in Radstock, Somerset, complained about noise from a shredding machine, forklift trucks, angle grinders and mechanical grabs.

An Environment Agency expert said the noise nuisance was the "worst he had ever experienced in his career".

The company argued it had a right to cause noise because of the length of time it had been trading on the site.

The Environment Agency told BML in February 2016 that it had to close down.

It said it was the first time it has had to take such action against a waste site because of the "extreme levels of noise pollution".

'Cause misery'

The company challenged the decision and applied for a judicial review ,arguing it had a "prescriptive right" to cause a noise nuisance because of the length of time the business had been in existence.

However, following a hearing at Bristol High Court, BML withdrew its claim and agreed to case trading by April 2017 and clear the site.

Pete Hart, from the Environment Agency, said the company was "simply in the wrong place" and it caused "misery to local people".

Bidwell Metals told the BBC it did not want to comment on the case.