'Our lives have been destroyed by this - and we're stuck here'

Fuming homeowners living next to Britain's biggest incinerator claim their house prices have taken a nosedive and they are 'overrun' with rats and seagulls. Residents living in the vicinity of the Runcorn Energy Recovery Facility in Cheshire believe that their health has been 'damaged' and their community 'destroyed' since the facility's opening.

The £462m plant, which started operating in 2015, was hailed by its operator Viridor for having the capacity to power over 150,000 homes through its cutting-edge waste disposal technology.

However, the company subsequently handed out £1m to locals who alleged worrying health side-effects, with about 180 complainants receiving roughly £4,500 each, alongside non-disclosure agreements to prevent them from discussing the issue.

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But local resident Mandy Royle, 53, declined the 'insulting' offer, voicing her concern around the impact of the incinerator on the community. She described the distressing daily impact on her life: "It’s a horror scene. I can’t get away from it. As soon as I open my curtains in the morning, it’s straight there, in my face. I get light pollution from it. My bedroom lights up."

She added: "Sometimes there's like a burning smell. It’s a bit like being in a skip - like a wheelie bin smell when it’s been out in the sun, rotten cabbage-type smell."

Viridor claims that the facility processes nearly a million tonnes of 'non-recyclable waste' annually, transported to the site by road and rail. However, Mandy argues that the constant influx of rubbish has led to a significant vermin issue and increased noise pollution.

She stated: "We never got seagulls before, and now we get