A COMPANY which transports waste from Middlewich is promising to ramp up its cleaning activities following odour concerns in recent weeks.

As reported by the Guardian, residents and councillors complained about a pungent smell in town during last week’s hot weather.

It prompted concerns that the smell was coming from Viridor lorries, which take waste from the Ansa Environmental Hub in Cledford Lane to an energy from waste plant in Runcorn.

Cllr Dave Latham, who is on the Ansa liaison group for the town council, said: "The stink of the Viridor lorries going through town lingers long after the vehicles go past.

“It makes you feel physically sick."

The smell also prompted a series of complaints from residents on social media.

Now, following the Guardian’s report, Viridor is promising to double its cleaning activities on the fleet which takes waste away from the Cledford Lane hub.

A spokesman for Viridor said: “Viridor takes its environmental and odour control responsibilities very seriously and has comprehensive policies in place to ensure this commitment is applied across its UK vehicle fleet.

“The company has held the contract with Ansa for the past two years and, in that time, has received no complaints.

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“However, as an act of goodwill and as part of its commitment to being a good neighbour in the communities in which it operates, Viridor will now double its vehicle cleaning activities and communicate the community to ensure its concerns have been addressed.”

Cheshire East Council, which owns waste management firm Ansa, told the Guardian earlier this week it remains ‘fully committed to being a good neighbour’ and confirmed there are no current issues at the environmental hub.