Action over 'dead animals smells' in Staffordshire

Councillors are investigating claims that bad smells in parts of Stoke-on-Trent are being caused by lorries carrying dead animals.

Some people in Meir and Weston Coyney have called for companies to be banned from using the A520.

It is not known which organisations may be responsible for the smell.

One firm using the road, John Pointon and Sons, has said its lorries were regularly checked by environmental health and trading standards officials.

'Sealed containers'

The company has an animal rendering facility at Cheddleton in Staffordshire.

BNP Stoke-on-Trent city councillor for Weston Coyney and Meir North, Mike Coleman, is heading a group of councillors who are looking into the issue.

He said: "We're getting 175 wagons a day going through Meir and Weston Coyney now and over the past five years it's got increasingly worse.

"We've discussed this issue in the community and we've come to the conclusion that we can't really live with that smell.

"Our intention is to approach Defra.. and demand that conditions are tightened, that these materials, these animal wastes are transported in a way that doesn't cause nuisance to the community, that they are transported in mechanically-sealed containers."

Mr Coleman said the group was going to set up a meeting next month and another meeting involving members of the public would be held.