An investigation has been launched after it was alleged tons of poisonous waste may have been dumped in Haworth.

Contractors working for Haworth Scouring Company are said to have tipped over 100 wagon-loads of waste on land across the road from its main building at Lees Mill in Lees Lane before moving its operation to its current Bradford base.

The waste has been dumped away from a pool on the site which had earlier been designated a licensed waste tip.

The waste is believed to be a by-product of the wool cleaning process. It has been dumped close to Bridgehouse Beck.

A Bradford council planning spokesman says the department has been made aware of the allegations and the matter will be investigated in liaison with the Environment Agency.

Keighley councillor Barry Thorne called for the investigation.

He says that resulting from information he has received he has very serious concerns about residents' health in that area.

"If Haworth Scouring have dumped or allowed this waste to be dumped then the company should have come clean," he says. "People are putting in for planning permission for that facility and someone must have known what was going on. Anyone wanting planning permission will have to carry out a full environmental impact survey.

"If there are things on that site which are dangerous then action will have to be taken.

"I do feel that something is not right somewhere and I am very unhappy that people do not know anything about it.

"There is a potential danger for people in the area."

Haworth Scouring's technical director Tim Whittaker told the Keighley News that it was an interesting allegation but he was unaware of any investigation being carried out. "We have done nothing on that site for three and a half years," he says. "We do not occupy that site anymore and haven't done for over a year."

He does admit there may be some sludge left on the hillside close to the beck from old wool cleaning procedures.

The company is currently building a new purpose-built plant in Leeds Road, Bradford, which should eliminate environmental problems. It said it had outgrown its Haworth premises. It is due to open in August.

The Haworth site has been earmarked for housing.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.