Llanelli fly swarm: Officers took 16 days to find source

Judith Turnell took a bag of dead flies to a public meeting about the fly infestation

Council officers took 16 days to find the source of swarms of flies that plagued homes for weeks, a report says.

A pest control company finally traced the cause to a metal processing plant on Nevill's Dock, Llanelli.

This was after 150 residents attended a public meeting and some complained of sickness and diarrhoea.

A Carmarthenshire council committee heard the source was found to be waste from England that provided "an ideal breeding ground".

"It took time. You have got to be sure of your facts," said councillor Philip Hughes, the local authority's executive member for public protection.

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"Our teams were pro-active virtually 24-7, giving people advice, supplying people with fly paper and fly strips.

"The authority went the extra mile. We had extra cleansing teams, extra gully (cleaning) teams."

As well as becoming ill, residents had described having to eat their meals in their cars to avoid the flies.

The scrutiny committee report described how complaints were first made on 22 May but it was not until 7 June a likely source was first identified.

"As the last week in May progressed it was clear that we were dealing with a major fly infestation and it was causing, understandably, great concern and anxiety for the local community," the report said.

It described how mixed rubbish from England had ended up at the site causing the issue, which cost more than £20,000 to tackle.

Council officials carried out 350 home and business visits during the plague and sprayed six houses which were particularly badly affected.

Llanelli town councillor Sean Rees said the five-page report to the scrutiny committee was insufficient.

"We're calling for the reinstatement of the pest control division after it was regrettably scrapped back in 2011.

"We're calling for the return of our street litter bins which have been taken away over the years.

"We're calling for a greater focus to ensure enhanced control measures are put in place so this never ever happens again."