Browse Sections

• Education
• Special reports

'Is ICI to blame for my health problems?'

Emma Mountford
14/ 8/2008

A LANDLADY who lives in the centre of the former ICI chemical plant in Blackley has spoken of her own health fears.

Linda Downs, who runs the Old House pub on Bottomley Lane, says she has suffered from a skin complaint for years and believes working in such close proximity to the giant plant could be to blame.

Over the years she says fumes and other substances have been thrown out by the factory and now many residents are concerned about the long lasting damage on their health.

She said: "We've been here for 36 years but it’s not been the easiest place to live in the middle of a chemical plant. Many years ago I started with a serious rash. Everyone used to sit outside and the chimneys from the plant used to blow fumes out all the time. You couldn't breathe. We had to shut all the windows.

"I ended up going to see a specialist in Manchester who said the rash was a form of reaction or allergy.

"Many people around here have suffered from skin complaints."

Mrs Downs also said chemicals have leaked into the River Irk near her pub and work done to rectify the problem four years ago led to a chemical dump being found.

Harrow Estates bought the site back in 2004 and the concerned landlady says she has been plagued with trouble ever since.

She added: "We’ve had to go through months of upheaval with the building work. It's an absolute mess round here. It’s affected my business and now they are working closer to the back of my pub.

"We've had years of misery and now they're building there again. That was a chemical site and I was always told you could never build on there.

"But you can’t fight the big companies and you cant fight the council, so what can you do?"

Last week we reported how Manchester law firm Pannone LLP is investigating claims that workers at the ICI plant may have developed cancer after being exposed to dangerous chemicals.

Paul Walsh, a solicitor specialising in industrial disease compensation, said: "We are already acting for an ex-ICI Blackley employee who has contracted bladder cancer and who worked at the plant from 1955 to 1980. We are keen to speak to people who worked at the same location from the 1950s through to the 1980s, in order to establish what chemicals were used, where and how."

The three areas of the plant of main concern are the Vulcafor, Dianol and Newlakes departments.

Mr Walsh added: "We have had contact with a number of witnesses and have been made aware that a significant number of people who worked at the site have subsequently died of bladder cancer.

"We know that there is a history of people exposed to chemicals developing cancers and in addition we are concerned that there may still be contaminated areas around the site, which was bought by Harrow Estates in 2004."

Anyone who worked at the site between 1950 and 1980 should contact the industrial diseaseteam on 0800 0384 384.

Tell us what you think. Email your comments to middletonguardian@menwn.co.uk or click on 'Submit comments'

Most recent 1 of 1 user comments