Residents in Fleetwood, Lancashire are fearing for their health after a toxic landfill site has caused a spike in sickness and nosebleeds among residents, due to it "rotting egg" smell.
The issue has been ongoing since February 2024, and has now sparked a local campaign by concerned residents to have the site cleared, named 'Stop the Stink'.
Speaking to GB News, Fleetwood resident Wendy Radcliffe told reporter Sophie Reaper of her concerns for her health, after recently undergoing surgery to have a lung removed.
Radcliffe stressed that the landfill site is "disgusting", and lack of efforts by authorities to deal with the issue is "awful".
Fleetwood residents are calling to 'stop the stink' as the smell of a 'disgusting' landfill site is causing sickness and nosebleeds for locals
GB News
Radcliffe told GB News: "It's disgusting, it's awful. It does make you feel sick and you just wonder what harm it's doing to you as well.
"I had a lung removed about 14 weeks ago, and I'm not to breathe in any strong solvents or bad smells, and I'm worried about what this is going to do to me, and to anybody who lives around here, because it's really bad."
Discussing the advice locals have been given by authorities - to close all windows and doors to their homes - Radcliffe highlighted that even with all windows and doors closed, the stench is so powerful that it is "seeping" into their homes.
Radcliffe said: "We're supposed to lock ourselves up but you can still smell it in the house, so it could still be getting in there, and you just wonder what it's doing to your lungs."
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Locals are heading up their 'Stop the Stink' campaign as the 'rotten egg' smell of the waste is causing illness among residents
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Discussing the 'Stop the Stink' campaign, spearheaded by "thousands" of residents, Radcliffe urged the authorities to "do whatever they can" to mask the smell of the site.
Radcliffe stated: "There's thousands of residents behind it - just get rid of the smell and whatever they have to do to cover it up and get rid of it, because the bad toxins could be killing us."
Admitting she is "nervous" about the future of the town and the health of its residents, Radcliffe concluded that the value of the homes in the area will "go downhill", and "no one will want to live here".
Radcliffe told GB News: "I'm very nervous, it'll go downhill. Nobody will want to live here, you won't be able to sell your properties, properties will go down in price. So we're going to lose a lot of money, and it's very worrying."
Wendy Radcliffe told GB News that she fears for the future health of residents if the issue is not resolved
GB News
Owners of the site Transwaste told GB News: "Due to sell sticks starting to produce gas much earlier in a higher rate than expected, they've had to stop waste deliveries and a working to cap cell sticks with a thick layer of clay in order to completely seal it.
"They will then install 11 deep gas wells to maximise gas extraction from the cell and resolve the odour issue."
Wyre Borough Council said in a statement: "We understand the severity of this matter for all affected residents.
"The leader of the council, Michael Vincent, and the local MP recently jointly wrote to the Environment Agency asking them to use their regulatory powers to address this issue, and are calling for the suspension or closure of the site."
