Cost of fire clean-up at Swindon recycling site reaches £500,000

Large clouds of acrid smoke have blown across Swindon since the fire broke out nearly eight weeks ago

The cost of removing waste from a recycling centre in Swindon which has been on fire for nearly two months has reached £500,000, the Environment Agency has revealed.

About 3,000 tonnes of waste has been removed from the Averies site so the fire can be fully extinguished.

The clean-up cost covers the removal and depositing of the waste but not "other associated costs".

The waste is mainly non-recyclable, commercial material.

The Environment Agency said the fire caused "minor" pollution to local water courses, but said it believed it had "returned to pre-incident levels".

The body said it was currently investigating whether any offences had been committed, and confirmed the cause of the fire was being investigated by the fire service.