Fire crews called to compost site

Fire crews have spent five days damping down hotspots in waste piles at a Derbyshire composting firm.

The areas, which occurred spontaneously in garden and kitchen waste at the Vital Earth warehouse in Ashbourne, had threatened to catch fire.

Crews were forced to sift and damp down thousands of tonnes of material.

While not actually on fire, the compost has produced smoke and a burning smell. The Environment Agency has told nearby residents it is not dangerous.

A spokesman for Vital Earth, which produces peat and chemical free composting products, said the work of the facility had not been interrupted.

Fire crews are hoping the problem will be totally solved by Sunday.