Furious locals say they are getting ill and undergoing ‘mental torture’ from the nauseating reek of foul waste, which they say is being driven 110 miles to be dumped in a landfill site on their doorstep.

The stench of gases rising from Aycliffe Quarry, near Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is behind a spate of headaches, skin rashes and nausea which has seen some local people seek help from hospital A and E departments, according to villagers.

For months the clinging smell of rotten eggs has been making their lives a misery, raising scores of complaints with the Environment Agency.

Helpless victims of the stench accuse the agency of being a ‘toothless tiger’ which has failed to take decisive action to stop the quarry’s operators from tackling the issue.

Locals told MailOnline that the majority of the waste causing the smell, which is blighting lives in the neighbouring villages of Aycliffe and Brafferton, is being driven 110 miles north from Hull in lorries.

An excavator pictured at Aycliffe Quarry in County Durham, which locals claim stinks so bad it’s ruining their lives and causing them to fall ill

The stench of gases rising from Aycliffe Quarry (pictured, from above), near Newton Aycliffe has sparked headaches, skin rashes and nausea, claim locals

For months the clinging smell of rotten eggs has been making their lives a misery, raising scores of complaints with the Environment Agency

The village of Aycliffe (pictured) which has been affected by a stench over the last few months

It’s an allegation the site’s operators, Hull-based Ashcourt Group, is yet to address but residents say they were told by Environment Agency officials that 80 per cent of the waste being deposited was travelling from East Yorkshire.

Stewart Hodgson, 55, of Brafferton, owns a small caravan site on his converted farm close to the quarry.

Read More

We live next to a brewery – it smells so bad: Row erupts between neighbours and small business over ‘yeasty’ stench in seaside town

He says he is currently unable to open the site to visitors because of the stench, a situation that will cost thousands over what should be a busy summer season.

Mr Hodgson said: ‘It’s a dire situation which has been going on for months but absolutely nothing is being done about it.

‘The Environment Agency has had so many complaints and months ago they said this would be taken care of but nothing has been done and they seem unable to stop it, they are a toothless tiger.

‘The agency tell us that the gases rising from the quarry are harmless but I dispute that, I believe it’s causing physical ailments on top of the mental torture of living with that odour day in, day out.

‘People have been suffering headaches and skin rashes, some so bad that they have had to seek help at Accident and Emergency in hospital.

‘I have been so badly affected that one morning I was physically sick and my wife has been suffering a skin rash. We went away for a few days and the rash cleared up, only to return when we got home.

Caravan site owner Stewart Hodgson, 55, of Brafferton, says he is unable to open his business because of the stench

Trucks pictured entering Aycliffe Quarry

Setting down his pint, Paul Burns, 61, said: ‘People here aren’t the type to make a fuss out of nothing, the situation and the stink is really bad’

The HGV entrance to the site in County Durham

‘It’s very concerning because while this continues unchecked we don’t know what long-term health problems are being caused to locals.

‘The smell seeps into your home and onto your clothes, it clings and you just can’t get rid of it. It stings your eyes and leaves you feeling sick.

‘I told the Environment Agency I would let off a stink bomb in their office to let them know what it’s like because that’s the only equivalent of the smell we’re living with.

‘My small caravan site has had to remain closed because I can’t allow people to stay on it with that smell, which can descend at any time.

‘It seems to arrive most commonly with the dew when things cool and water droplets settle, that’s when you brace yourself for it the most.’

Agricultural engineer John Evans, 66, lives in neighbouring Aycliffe in a cottage overlooking the village green.

He said: ‘It is a really serious blight on our lives. It sounds like an exaggeration but it is affecting everything we do in our lives at home.

‘You cannot go outside, you can’t do normal things on a sunny afternoon like lighting up a barbecue or going outside to sit in the garden.

Tattoo artist John Coulter, 59, said Aycliffe is a ‘lovely place to live’ but it is being ruined by the stench

The Aycliffe Quarry on the edge of the A1 in County Durham

Maureen Jarrett , 69, said the stench was attracting a ‘swarm of flies’ 

Locals living in nearby Brafferton are also being affected by the situation, with some claiming ‘absolutely nothing is being done about it’

‘The smell is literally unbearable and it seeps through your home and sticks to your clothes, it’s hard to convey how strong it is.

Read More

EXCLUSIVE

Our neighbour complained about a fake smell… the council bullied us and it cost us £25k

‘And the worst thing is that this has been going on since at least the turn of the year and nothing at all has been done to improve the situation.

‘We held a public meeting in the village hall which was attended by the Environment Agency, who said that 80% of the waste being brought to the landfill is being transferred up here from Hull, which is where the operators are based.

‘It is literally being driven here and dumped between two very nice villages which are left to cope with the odour.

‘I don’t mind any business setting up and making money but we get nothing back from Ashcourt Group, they appear to have very little accountability.’

Sarah Wingfield, a disability advocate, said she was concerned about the effect the smell might have on vulnerable people.

She told MailOnline: ‘It’s hard to sit outside and it can increase the nausea of people who are already sick and can add stress – it could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for some of the most vulnerable people in the town.

‘There’s a lot of people that have felt uncomfortable about complaining about it and I think there are more people who are upset about it than are coming forward to say so.

A village book shop pictured in Brafferton. The area has been blighted by the smell drifting over from a nearby quarry

Dog walker Sue Towers, 67, described the stench as a ‘horrible eggy smell’

Nearby Brafferton village which is also being hit by the smell

‘My concern has also been around the businesses – there are a few children’s businesses on the industrial estate where the smell is the strongest and my concern is them losing customers. 

Read More

Children are forced to play inside after ‘eye watering’ smell of rotten eggs and sulphur plagues neighbourhood for weeks

‘It’s definitely affecting summer plans too. If people want to have a barbecue then an eggy odour is not very appealing.’

The furore coincides with Ashcourt’s acquisition of the quarry from Wade Group, the previous operators, last summer.

At the time Ashcourt said it was a strategic investment to strengthen its position in the waste disposal sector.

The firm said: ‘In a significant move that further strengthens our position in the market, we’re pleased to announce that the Ashcourt Group has successfully finalised the acquisition of John Wade Group, a prominent player in the waste recycling industry. 

‘With John Wade Group’s headquarters located at Aycliffe Quarry in Newton Aycliffe, this strategic purchase opens up new service areas and expands our geographical operational reach.

‘As a leading diversified group of companies, Ashcourt has consistently pursued growth and expansion opportunities. This recent acquisition represents another milestone in our journey to enhance our portfolio and establish a more comprehensive presence in the industry.’

Locals say that while Ashcourt has prospered from the takeover, residents have suffered.

Agricultural engineer John Evans, 66, lives in neighbouring Aycliffe said it was causing a ‘serious blight on our lives’

Aycliffe is suffering from the reek emanating from the landfill site. Pictured: The village centre

Brafferton village is located just a few miles from Aycliffe Landfill

Drinkers outside The County pub which overlooks the village green in Aycliffe

On the day MailOnline visited the villages were odour-free and a cluster of drinkers occupied tables outside The County pub, which overlooks the village green in Aycliffe.

A blue plaque on the front of the pub commemorates the day it was visited by French President Jacques Chirac in 2000, the guest of Prime Minister – and local MP – Tony Blair.

‘He wouldn’t be b***** visiting now, that’s for sure,’ one local quips.

Setting down his pint, Paul Burns, 61, says: ‘People here aren’t the type to make a fuss out of nothing, the situation and the stink is really bad.

‘I hung some washing out the other day and suddenly the smell descended and within seconds everything was stinking, inside and outside the house.

‘I pulled the washing from the line and took it in and the stench on it was so bad I put it straight back into the washer, that’s how bad it is.

‘This is having a profound effect on people’s lives, it’s unbearable and you’re either living with the smell or the worry about when it is next going to hit you. It really is sickening.’

Read More

‘The smell is awful – I worry about what we’re breathing in’: Villagers kick up a stink as the Cotswolds becomes a giant sewer

Mr Burns also attended the public meeting and heard the claim that waste is being driven from East Yorkshire to Aycliffe for disposal as landfill.

Holding his terrier Oreo under one arm, tattoo artist John Coulter, 59, waves a hand across the idyllic village green.

‘Look at it,’ he says. ‘It’s a lovely place to live but it is being ruined and it seems that nothing we can do or say will make any difference to it.

‘There have been so many complaints from local people who are sick – literally – of this stink, which is spoiling our lives.

‘When the smell arrives it is stomach churning. Just opening the door to let Oreo out is enough to allow the gases to fill the house and linger for a long time.

‘It’s a sulphury smell like rotten eggs and it just fills the air and hangs there. Something desperately needs to change.’

Maureen Jarrett, 69, of Aycliffe, has a further complaint. 

‘It’s not just the stink,’ she says. ‘It’s the swarm of flies. They are everywhere, the windows are full with big bluebottles.

‘It is absolutely disgusting and has made life in the village unbearable. I have lived here for 43 years and have never known anything like this.

‘We need help from someone but this situation has existed since at least January and we were told by the Environment Agency it would be dealt with by March.

‘And here we are entering the warm summer months and we’re still living with it.’

Ms Jarrett added: ‘We need help from someone but this situation has existed since at least January and we were told by the Environment Agency it would be dealt with by March’

Locals say that while Ashcourt has prospered from the takeover, residents have suffered (pictured: Brafferton village)

Sitting outside the county pub, Mr Burns added: ‘I hung some washing out the other day and suddenly the smell descended and within seconds everything was stinking, inside and outside the house’

A blue plaque on the front of the pub commemorates the day it was visited by French President Jacques Chirac in 2000, the guest of Prime Minister – and local MP – Tony Blair. ‘He wouldn’t be b***** visiting now, that’s for sure,’ one local quips

Sue Towers, 67, adds: ‘It’s a horrible eggy smell, it’s not there all the time but when it arrives you know about it.’

Sedgefield’s Conservative MP Paul Howell intervened in an attempt to help locals who bombarded his office with complaints.

Before campaigning began for the General Election, Mr Howell issued a statement saying: ‘I have had continual engagement with both Ashcourt Group and the Environment Agency on this issue with the most recent meeting this morning. 

‘Once again I expressed my, and my constituents, frustration that this smell is still evident after multiple committed dates have passed.

‘Ashcourt are keen to engage with individuals on a one-to-one basis and if anyone has further concerns about how it has affected them personally, I would encourage them to engage with Ashcourt directly or through myself.’

MailOnline has approached Ashcourt Group and the Environment Agency for comment.