Fear and frustration over fumes from week-old fire

People living near a fire that has been burning for more than a week have said they are feeling frustrated, worried and ill from the "horrendous-smelling" smoke.

Residents of Sutton Bonington, in Nottinghamshire, have been bringing pets indoors, avoiding airy rooms and blocking up vents with cling film.

Several told the BBC they were worried about what they were breathing in as firefighters continue to battle the fire at Hathernware industrial estate.

Authorities are holding a meeting on Friday to reassure residents but said, while smoke can cause unpleasant symptoms, they have assessed the air quality and believe the risk is low.

The fire, which involved buildings, timber and trailers, broke out shortly before 10:45 BST on 15 April and at its height, 13 fire engines were sent to deal with it.

Kelly Ritchie, 51, lives in Charnwood Avenue, directly across a railway line from the fire.

She said she heard several loud explosions while working from home and saw "bright orange" flames as high as two houses, along with a plume of thick black smoke.

"It was really scary," she said. "The fire was absolutely massive.

"The explosions were shocking... people were saying they could feel their houses shaking."

On Sunday, the wind changed direction and began to blow smoke into her garden.

"The smell was really bad," she said. "It's been horrible. By tea-time you can really feel it settling on your chest.

"I have asthma and I've had to use my inhaler a lot more.

"We've barely been able to go into the back of the house because when you go into those rooms... it feels like you're breathing it in and you can taste it.

"It's almost like someone's burning plastic in your garden."

Her neighbour Naomi Lahiff, 36, has two guinea pigs, which she has brought into the house because she is worried about exposure.

She has also stopped her children playing outside and, after getting a headache walking the dog, has now started driving away to walk him.

"It's deeply unpleasant, it clings to your clothes and hair," she said.

"You can taste it in the back of your throat, it's metallic. The question is what's in it, what's burning?

"There's still a concern in local residents about that risk."

When the BBC visited on Thursday, there was a strong smell of smoke in the whole area, and at one point smoke visibly filled the street.

People have been advised to keep their doors and windows shut, and to avoid going outside.

Laura Hart, 45, has stopped drying her clothes in the utility room because the smell was so strong she had to wash it again.

"It looks nice outside... but the smell's not gone," she said.

"My chest is tight, my throat feels tight... that tells me there's something in the air the body doesn't like."

She said she has been staying indoors and telling the children to hold their breath between the house and the car.

"It's been like being a prisoner in your own home, it's not felt safe," she said, adding she wanted to see the tests proving it is low risk.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said on Wednesday that most of the fire had been extinguished, but pockets of deep-seated fire and hotspots - buried within significant quantities of waste material across the site - remained.

They added it was "difficult to predict" when the fire will be fully extinguished.

A fire broke out at the same industrial estate in 2018.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Environment Agency have set up a "dedicated air quality cell" and found the risk to public health is low, but said they would carry on monitoring the situation.

The UKHSA said smoke can irritate air ways, skin and eyes and can lead to coughing, wheezing and chest pain, and worsen asthma.

Dr Samia Latif, consultant in health protection for UKHSA East Midlands, said: "We understand the public may feel concerned as any smoke or odour is unpleasant and can be an irritant.

"Odours do occur following a large fire, but the levels at which people detect odours are often well below those levels which are harmful to health.

"The air quality risk to public health from this incident has been assessed as low and we continue to work with partners to monitor this."

The agency added anyone with symptoms such as coughing or breathlessness, which they believe may be related to smoke exposure, should contact their GP or call NHS 111.

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