A PUBLIC meeting has been held to discuss the flies plaguing the local community.
Flies have been making the lives of residents in Heathcote, Whitnash and Bishops Tachbrook a misery for months.
And as a result, Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western hosted a meeting on Thursday (September 14) to try and tackle the issue.
Residents and business have been overwhelmed with high volumes of flies in their homes since June, with up to 30 in a room at any one time.
They said their daily lives were affected – reporting difficulties sleeping, eating and cooking, particularly during the hot weather.
Some have been spending hundreds of pounds to try and tackle the pests with measures including putting up nets, investing in fly traps and swatting them with bats.
Many residents have even been forced to keep their windows and doors shut throughout the summer months including the recent heatwave.
A community “fly infestation” facebook page has been set up.
Resident Heather Clarworthy posted: “Exhausted and disgusted surviving another weekend with high concentrations of flies all over the house. They crawl over everyone and everything. Anytime you try to sit still they land on you. I can’t keep up with the faeces, it is so unhygenic and such a health hazard.”
Fellow sufferer Michelle Fincham wrote: “I can’t even eat my dinner without ten flies landing on me and my plate. My poor three-year-old is getting so frustrated.”
A confirmed source for the problem has not been identified but the Environment Agency are looking into a number of possible sources, one of which is the recycling plant just off the Tachbrook Road run by Berry Polymers.
Approximately 100 people attended the meeting, which was called and chaired by Mr Western, where he invited residents to share with him the difficulties they had endured over the past few months.
There were representatives from Warwick District Council, Severn Trent and Berry Polymers present.
A statement from Berry Polymers said they were aware of the excessive flies in the residential area surrounding the industrial estate where the factory is based and will continue to work with all relevant agencies and the local community in order to identify and implement actions to alleviate the issue.
Mr Western asked to visit the Berry Polymers site unannounced which was agreed to. The MP said he would report back to residents on his findings.
He said: “It is frankly disgusting that residents have been forced to live like this for so long and I am committed to ensuring we get answers and a solution as soon as possible.”
A WDC spokesperson confirmed it had received a large number of complaints about the fly problems since June.
They continued the council was making a thorough investigation of information it had received from residents and the case had been assigned to an officer who will be visiting the area affected at the earliest opportunity.
