Health checks offered to Wigan residents near one of England's worst illegal waste sites

Dedicated health checks, including asthma and blood pressure assessments, are being offered to people living near one of England's worst illegal waste sites.

Residents in Bickershaw - who are living just metres away from 18,000 tonnes of waste - are now being offered health checks at an event on Bolton House Road on Thursday, Wigan Council has said.

It comes after Sky News carried out air, water and soil testing at some of the country's largest illegal waste dumps - including Wigan - uncovering a toxic mix of hundreds of chemicals, some of which can be harmful to humans.

In a letter seen by Sky News, residents on Bolton House Road were told in October of new health and wellbeing support.

It says services on offer will include NHS health and blood pressure checks, asthma reviews and mental health support.

A health and wellbeing survey has also been delivered to nearby houses, asking residents if there have been any changes to their health over the last year.

Clearance of the 18,000 tonnes of waste on Bolton House Road is due to begin this month and continue into 2027.

Sky News' investigation found a strong match for the pesticide Demeton-O at the Wigan dump - which has not been approved for use in the UK for decades as it poses a danger to human and animal life.

A footprint for P-tert amylphenol, a chemical that disrupts the endocrine system and has a "chronic aquatic toxicity" classification, was also found at Wigan.

Triisopropyl phosphate was also found, which is a chemical used in plastics that is "very toxic" to aquatic life.

These samples were collected at source, meaning the results do not account for dilution, as the chemicals travel by air or water away from the site.

But one of the UK's leading public health toxicologists previously called for more intensive monitoring and academic study.

More from Sky News:
British health worker tests positive for Ebola
Goalie involved in fatal on-pitch collision releases statement

Dr Ian Mudway, associate professor of environmental toxicology at Imperial College London, told Sky News: "Some of the strongest science which has come out is about how very low-level chemical exposures in populations over the long term have health effects which nobody predicted they would have.

"There is no argument that you should ignore this and hope the problem goes away."

The Environment Agency has made five arrests in connection with the Wigan dump, on suspicion of environmental, fraud and money laundering offences.

(c) Sky News 2026: Health checks offered to Wigan residents near one of England's worst illegal waste sites