A waste company near fly-infested homes has repeatedly broken environmental rules, according to a new BBC report.
The number of flies in Avonmouth has been the source of complaints for at least five years, with some locals linking the infestation to nearby waste companies.
A report set to be shown on BBC Inside Out West tomorrow (Monday, September 16) claims a firm based on Zinc Road, New Earth Solutions, stored "excessive" waste outside, at a spot where inspectors saw a number of flies.
Bristol Live has reported extensively on the issue, which has led some Avonmouth families to eat their meals under a mosquito net.
And the BBC now says it has discovered "more than a dozen" rule breaches by New Earth Solutions over the 12 months from July 2018.
Environment Agency (EA) inspectors found 5,000 bales of waste were being stored there at the end of June and said it was "considered to be storing waste in excess of the set limits", the BBC reports.
They also said "flies are noticeable outside of the processing halls, basking on the bales stored immediately outside the building and residual wastes spilt on the aprons, caused by vehicle movements".
According to the EA, the New Earth Solutions management "accepted [it] has exceeded the quantity that can be processed and removed without causing a build-up of on-site materials".
Despite inspectors noticing more flies at the plant, the EA said there was no link.
"Monitoring of fly numbers does not appear to show a link between reports of flies in Avonmouth and the increase in bales stored outside New Earth Solutions," a statement said.
'Fingers in their ears'
But Avonmouth resident Ian Robinson told the BBC the EA had "fingers in their ears" over the complaints.
"Of course it's contributing," he said.
"Seeing as those bales are getting ripped by seagulls, by rats, they're being damaged by being moved, they're falling over [and] they're not being stacked correctly."
He wants the EA to take enforcement action against the firm.
New Earth Solutions did not provide a comment on the BBC report.
More on this story can be seen on Inside Out on BBC1 in the West at 7.30pm on Monday, September 16, and afterwards on iPlayer.
For the latest news in and around Bristol, you can check back on Bristol Live's homepage.
