Skip hire company being investigated after bonfire reports

A skip hire company in Lancashire is being investigated after the fire services were called to extinguish a fire reported to be related to the skip firm, which was causing acrid smoke to pollute the area.

Residents complained when a large bonfire was set alight on the A1 Skips Holme Road site in Clayton-le-Moors last week, with the residents claiming that carpets and plastics were being burned which as causing the area to become engulfed by acrid smoke.

However the skip hire company at the centre of the allegations argued that the land on which the bonfire was burning did not belong to them and was completely unrelated to their skip rental business.

According to local newspaper reports, the residents had complained previously to councillors over bonfires which they claim were being started by the skip hire company to burn waste.

The fire service revealed that they were called to extinguish the fire after the Environment Agency tried and failed to get A1 Skips to put out the bonfire which was causing big black clouds of smog to hang over the area, distressing the residents. The bonfire was burning on an area of land approximately 150 square meters in size, a mixture of commercial and domestic waste was found set alight.

The Environment Agency are now reportedly carrying out an investigation into the large scale bonfire and attempting to establish whether or not the skip hire company are involved as the residents suggest.