Residents lives still being ruined by 'nightmarish' invasion of flies as problem persists
Residents around Leamington Spa and Warwick say a "nightmarish" invasion of flies which swarm their homes each summer has become "absolute hell" and "ruining people's lives".
Homeowners have described being left trapped indoors by the infestation of flies which crawl in people's mouths and 'choke babies in cots'.
Some have sold up and moved out of the area due to the problem which has also led to a "rancid toxic smell" lingering over parts of the district.
Parents are draping fly nets over cots, children cannot eat dinner without flies crawling into their mouths and others have reported falling ill due to the plague of flies blighting the area.
The matter was recently debated in Parliament by Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western who branded the issue, affecting around 10,000 people, a "public health risk".
Locals say the problem began around three years ago but has got progressively worse - with more flies and a disgusting raw sewage smell descending on the area.
Those living around the Heathcote area say they cannot go in their gardens and have resorted to filling their homes with fly strips and zappers.
They blame a nearby recycling plant owned by Amcor, formerly known as Berry Circular Polymers, which is regulated by the Environment Agency.
Foster mum Maureen Kerr, 64, has lived in the area for three years and said trouble only started after the new plant was opened.
The 64-year-old gran-of-six said: "We foster babies from birth and have had to put nets over their cots and chairs.
"They go full pelt at you and you can't do anything. Especially when the babies are laying there after milk, it's awful - they try and swarm them.
"We started off with fly spray not realising why we had so many. Then we had fly papers and those fly zappers.
"We have to keep changing them. It got so bad there were 50 flies on them over 24 hours.
"The smell is terrible. Our next door neighbour moved because she couldn't stand it.
"I just keep the windows and doors shut to stop the flies.
"One man spent thousands on fly screens. We've only lived here for three years and the first year was absolutely fine. But then all this started in the second year."
Retired primary school teacher Diljeet Kang, 65, said once the flies swarm indoors it is nearly impossible to get them out again.
The gran-of-six said: "It's not just the flies, it's the horrendous, nasty odour as well. When the summer starts you can't open the windows for the smell and the flies.
"The smell is just awful. I haven't opened up my windows. It gets worse and worse as the warmer months. I daren't open them if the flies come in.
"They're tiny ones, really fast. You can't even swat them. Once they get in it's hard to get them out.
"Everyone on the street is complaining about it. The amount of people that have sold their houses on the road because of that.
"We can't go out and enjoy our barbecues either because the flies will swarm the meat and get us ill."
Richard Manly, 37, a local welder, added: "It's been really nightmarish really, these flies have left people gagging and choking, even kids and babies in their cots and beds.
"Drivers and cyclists have been sick getting a mouthful while going down the street, some are being sick. It's a crazy situation and we can't believe it's been allowed to go on.
"I got to Wickes quite often and workers say customers are staying away because of the smell. I know pubs, restaurants and other businesses have a similar issues because of both the flies and the smell."
Retired cleaning company owner Robert Horely said the stench was enough to take his breath away when he left his house.
The 69-year-old dad-of-one said: "We have the problem every year and it lasts for months.
"We have fly strips hanging down that are covered, you can't see a space on them, it's that bad. You can't go outside in the summer, when you do there's flies around you. You can't eat outside.
"Local pubs were having problems. A family went for a meal and they had to abandon their food as the flies were all over their food.
"They come in and get everywhere. People have been struggling to sleep as there's flies crawling all over you. How do you get them out?
"Plus this smell which again appears to be coming from the same site. It's not a very pleasant smell, and quite strong at times. It's between a gone off, eggy disinfectant-type smell and chlorine.
"There's been a couple times where I've opened the front door and it's taken my breath away it's that smelly. It's a health and safety issue.
"The council and environment agency keep playing ping pong, it's back and forth between them. One of the biggest queries is how did it get planning permission in the first place."
Retired law teacher Kevin Shanahan, 64, added: "It's the recycling business. Someone said the waste comes dirty and it attracts the flies.
"A man who works nearby to the unit says the plastic is brought in dirty and then it's left outside to fester. The smell is quite repulsive.
"We can't enjoy our homes as we can't go in our gardens or open the windows because of the flies and the smell."
Addressing parliament, Mr Western said two weeks ago: "Imagine being in your own home and unable to eat with your family, unable to leave food for even a minute without your kitchen being swarmed with flies, and unable to sleep in your own bed without flies landing on your face.
"Imagine flies everywhere, in every room of your house, in business premises, in pubs, in restaurants and in takeaways, and vile odours permeating your life whether at home, walking the streets or driving your car.
"That is the reality for hundreds of families in one part my constituency.
"I estimate that as many as 10,000 — if not more — of my constituents in south Warwick, south Leamington and Whitnash are impacted by this.
"They have faced swarms of flies and foul odours for three years running. Their houses are infested with flies. They are unable to open their windows for fear of swarms entering their home.
"They are unable to prepare food in their kitchen without the constant cleaning of their work surfaces to clean off the fly excrement, which also adheres to their walls.
"Would any Member of this House be satisfied with their family living like that? This is not just a minor inconvenience; this is ruining people's lives.
"People are getting ill, and some residents are actually selling up.
"Then there is the all-pervasive foul-smelling odour. Constituents describe the smell as being like "raw sewage". They say it is "sulphuric" and "toxic".
"Many have told me that the smell is utterly unbearable."
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "We are committed to ensuring that people and the environment are protected.
"This includes regularly inspecting permitted sites in the Leamington Spa area and requiring operators to make improvements where they are required.
"Since April 1 we have inspected the Berry Circular Polymers site four times and identified a Category three (minor) breach of the permit as they were not following their prescribed management techniques.
"We encourage residents to continue to report environmental issues via our 24/7 hotline on 0800 807060 to help with our investigations."
A spokesperson for Berry Circular Polymers said previously: "We take these concerns extremely seriously and although both ourselves and our regulators cannot find a substantial causal link, we are committed to ensuring we do not negatively impact Warwickshire residents."
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