Tonnes of rubbish moved from derelict Stoke-on-Trent factory

Piles of waste caused fears of a fire risk to the surrounding area

Thousands of tonnes of waste have started to be removed from a derelict factory amid the new land owner's fears of a fire risk.

Bales of rubbish had been left piled up at the location in Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent.

The Environment Agency (EA) is funding the clearance after enforcement action against a previous operation there.

Land owner Alistair Hilditch-Brown said it was "critical" the material was moved from the site.

He said it could pose a risk to the nearby railway line and main A500 road should a fire break out.

Waste has started to be moved from the former factory site

The site was formerly named A Morrey Distribution Ltd, a permitted waste operation, but storage of excessive volumes of waste resulted in enforcement action in 2015, the EA said. The company liquidated in 2020.

Part of the site was severely damaged in a 2012 blaze affecting 30 businesses. , and Mr Hilditch-Brown said he worried over another event.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue service said it had a "robust multi-agency plan in place" should an incident ever occur.

Alistair Hilditch-Brown is the current owner of the site

Mr Hilditch-Brown said he had always been committed to redeveloping the site but expressed regret that the rubbish clearance would come at public expense via the EA.

He said: "I don't think that was the right way to continue to move this material especially when there are other routes to fund clearances and which have worked in the past. However this is the route that the Environment Agency has decided to take."

Suzanne Ward, place manager with the EA, said: "The Environment Agency has been working with the site owner and multi-agency partners to ensure the waste on site is cleared.

"Waste is now being removed from the site and is being disposed of safely at a landfill in the North West."