Firefighters’ 400 calls to Great Heck tip

Firefighters have been called out to the smouldering rubbish tip at Great Heck nearly 400 times in the past six months, running up a huge bill for the taxpayer, it has emerged.

By The Newsroom

Published 4th Dec 2015, 14:29 BST

The10,000 ton pile of rubbish in Great Heck.

Crews mainly from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS), but on occasions from other areas including South Yorkshire and Humberside, attended 385 times until the end of Octover, it was revealed.

NYFRS has been going daily since early October to put out fires and cool the surrounding areas.

A spokeswoman from NYFRS said: “We have a statutory duty to respond to fires, so the cost of our attendance is being covered by ourselves.”

Contractors are now clearing the reeking pile of refuse, which will mean firefighters only having to visit for another four to five weeks, rather than another year, had it been left on its own.

The site was run by Wagstaff TWM Ltd, which went into liquidation, leaving the pile of rubbish uncleared.

South Yorkshire