Kirkby residents hail dismantling of Sonae factory at centre of compensation claims
Residents hailed a major step in the dismantling of a controversial former factory at the centre of thousands of compensation claims.
Work to take down the main tower at the Sonae site in Kirkby marks the definitive end of the troubled plant.
The woodchip factory’s Portuguese owners stopped production at Kirkby last year with the loss of more than 200 jobs.
Recently they were warned to put aside £65m to defend the UK’s biggest ever class action legal claim.
Around 10,000 people say they suffered as a result of emissions from the plant during a huge fire in 2011.
Their claims centre around breathing, skin and eye problems which they say were caused by the blaze.
The plant was also the site of three accidental deaths, the latest being demolition worker Dennis Kay who was crushed by an acces platform in August 2011.
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