'Toxic' waste fire forces children to miss school

A "toxic" waste fire which had been burning for more than a week has forced nearby businesses to close and children to miss several days of school, an MP has said.

The blaze broke out on Bolton House Road in Bickershaw, Wigan, which firefighters have finally put out after 10 days.

Labour MP for Makerfield Josh Simons said the fire, thought to have started with illegally-dumped waste, "never should have happened" and that he had been asking for assistance from the Environment Agency to clear the waste site for months.

The Environment Agency said it was working with emergency services to manage the incident.

"Our priority is to ensure the safety of the public and the environment. We are working closely with emergency services and other partners to manage the incident and minimise any potential environmental impact," a spokesperson said.

In a letter written to Environment Secretary Steve Reed, Simons said children at the nearby Bickershaw C of E Primary had missed "multiple days at school" because of the fire and that United Utilites was dealing with "toxic water run off".

"In this fire, the people I represent are suffering again because their voices have not been heard and their warnings have fallen through the cracks between agencies," Simons wrote.

The school confirmed it had since reopened.

Simons earlier told BBC Radio Manchester the "mountain of toxic waste" had been accumulating on the private land site for about six months.

"[It has] all matter of things poking out of it - washing machines, nappies chemical cans," he said.

He said the site had been reported to police and the Environment Agency, who said it was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.

However, Simons said there had been no timeline on when it was to be cleared, and he claimed the Environment Agency told him it was Wigan Council's responsibility.

Simons said: "Wigan Council has had an evaluation of the cost, and it's as much a £4.5m, and...local authorities do not have £5m sitting around to clear up sites.

"So if Wigan Council can't afford it, and the Environment Agency says it's not their job, how are we going to get this waste removed?

"[The fire] will only start again unless we deal with the underlying problem."

Wigan Council said it had declared a major incident on Tuesday because of how long the fire had been burning and the resources it required, but earlier stood down the declaration once it had been put out.

The authority said it was working with the Environment Agency and Greater Manchester Police to address "long-standing issues" regarding the site's use.

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