Walleys Quarry: Two arrested over 'spontaneous' protest

Two men have been arrested after a "spontaneous" protest outside a quarry blighted by strong odours.

Walleys Quarry in Silverdale has been at the centre of a long-running dispute with residents living nearby over emissions coming from the site.

Protesters gathered from about 10:15 BST and despite "numerous appeals" by police to end their blockade two men were arrested for obstruction.

Staffordshire Police said the protest concluded at about 17:00.

A spokesperson for the force said: "Officers were on scene to balance the rights of the protestors against the rights of those affected by it, which includes minimising the impact of disruption to local businesses, the community and the road network.

"The force's protest removal team attended to support colleagues at the site.

"Despite significant engagement and numerous appeals a number of protestors would not end the blockade."

The 19-year-old and 42-year-old, both from Newcastle, remain in custody, the spokesperson added.

The Environment Agency began investigating the landfill site, owned by Red Industries, in December and it has faced increased regulations.

The firm said it had never contravened waste regulations, saying any claims it had were "baseless and wrong".

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