'Play area could be infected'

They are worried that curious children could be putting themselves in danger by roaming around the site of the old Middleton Hospital, Ilkley.

Parish councillor Mike Exley said: "The top of fencing which surrounds one particular area on the site was bent at the top, as if people had been climbing over it. I also saw home-made swings in the trees and evidence of football matches," said Coun Exley told Ilkley Parish Council planning committee. He said it was unacceptable that medical contamination - including phials and tissue samples - should still be a grave concern more than a decade after the hospital closed its doors. He said some of the former hospital drains were still running freely and asked why remaining buildings had not been boarded up.

Site owners, the Northern and Yorkshire Regional Health Authority, carried out a clean-up operation in 1995 but the issue has refused to die.

The onus is now on would-be developers to carry out further decontamination work. One firm has already submitted an application to do so, but is awaiting the report of an inspector from the Environment Department.

Councillor Amanda Clarke said she fears the issue could remain unresolved if developers were put off by the costs involved.

Charles Holloway, head teacher of neighbouring Westville House School, said: "The contaminated area is at least 200 metres from the school. When the site is redeveloped, a move which I fully support, contamination will be safely disposed of."

A spokesman for the NHS Executive which owns the site, said: "Tests found evidence of contaminants but no chemical waste. A ravine which had been used as a dump for hospital rubbish was covered over and fenced off.

"We are satisfied this area is safe but are checking to make sure the fence and gates surrounding it are intact."

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