A MEETING is to take place next week to discuss the plague of flies outbreak at Ulnes Walton tip - with councillors demanding to know how it was allowed to happen.

homes were hit by swarms of flies earlier this month after the site owners Lancashire Waste Services changed the tip covering from inert material to hessian-type sacking.

This allowed the flies to breed easier - much to the anger of residents in villages such as Eccleston, Croston and Bretherton who had to kills thousands which had invaded their homes.

Croston and Bretherton ward councillors David Lloyd and David Heyes joined community services committee chairman Terry Brown in seeking more information and to look into whether residents should be compensated.

Councillor Brown said: "We have invited the site operator, Lancashire Waste Services, and the Environment Agency, who license the tip, to discuss the situation with us and they have agreed.

"There has been a very serious fly problem emanating from the tip, despite almost continual spraying with insecticide.

"We want to know now whether or not the Environment Agency was aware of any problems of using the jute fibre based sacking typing material to cover waste when they first gave approval.

"Since the escalation of this problem, Lancashire Waste Services have been instructed to revert to the traditional inert soil covering which in the past has been more effective."

Councillor Lloyd added: "We really do wonder whether or not this problem with flies could have been foreseen.

"Another question we will be asking is if the Environment Agency actually monitored the use of the new system to ensure that the sacking material was being used in accordance with the manufacturer's advice."

Councillor Heyes said it was hoped the return to using soil cover would work.

He said: "Strong assurances are required that this kind of situation will not be allowed to happen again."

Chorley environmental health chief Wal Zawistowicz confirmed the tip had been covered with inert material and that complaints had subsided.

"Lancashire Waste Services engaged Rentokil to go round and deal with complaints in homes and others premises. They have had specialist contractors on the landfill site itself," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.