Legal move on rubbish mountain

A legal battle has been launched to stop waste being delivered to a firm at the centre of a dispute over a towering mound of rubbish.

Officials from the Environment Agency appeared before the High Court yesterday seeking an injunction against Refuse Derived Fuel Limited, in Brierley Hill. Families living nearby have been calling for action over the 30ft pile of rubbish for months.

They want an injunction preventing more waste coming to the site and agency officials have been gathering evidence.

A judge decided a full hearing on the injunction would take place on May 3.

Agency officials said they had also served further notices on the company requiring existing waste at the site, in Moor Street, to be cleared.

Around 50 complaints have been made to the agency by residents about rubbish at the site since last summer.

They say the waste has become a blight on the area and demanded action be taken.

The agency says the firm has missed a series of deadlines to reduce the pile to acceptable levels.

Speaking after the hearing, Environment Agency spokesman David Hudson confirmed a legal bid had now been launched.

"We appreciate the patience residents in the area are showing and would like to thank them for their help and understanding," he said. "We would like to assure residents that we are doing everything we can to resolve this issue and have a dedicated project team working on this."

Environment Agency staff have previously entered the premises to conduct surveys. No one from Refuse Derived Fuel Limited was available for comment.