ANGRY Burnley Wood residents have stepped up their campaign against a waste site which they claim is ‘making life hell’.

The Lancashire Telegraph reported yesterday how Oxford Mill Waste Transfer Station was being monitored by the Environment Agency (EA).

Now families living near the Oxford Road site have formed Burnley’s Environmental Action Group in order to tackle pest problems, which they believe are emanating from the mill.

The area’s county councillor, Margaret Brindle, has already compiled a report for Lancashire County Council and the EA, detailing residents’ complaints, which include infestations of rats and flies.

Sheree Welsby, who lives in Branch Road, said she decided to set up the campaign group with Kay Gardens resident Melanie Jones after neighbours said rubb- ish dumped at the mill was aff-ecting their health.

Miss Welsby, 43, who lives with her fiance John Spencer, said: “I have never collected so many flies in all my life. This is the worst it has ever been. I know of several asthma sufferers who have had to increase their inh-aler use because of the pollution.

“There are rats running up and down the streets like they are people.

“What’s the point in regeneration costing millions if we’re going to live like we’re in slums? This sort of business should be in an industrial estate.”

The group will meet with Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle next week, and hold its first off-icial meeting at Burnley Wood Terracefields Training and Comm- unity Centre, in Springfield Road, on June. 10 from 6.30pm.

The permit to carry out waste operations at the site currently belongs to Hapton Trading Ltd, but Eccles-based firm White Recycling is its main user.

Nobody from either firm has responded to the Lancashire Tel-egraph’s requests for a comment.