Work begins to clear Great Heck's burning rubbish pile

Work began today on moving 10,000 tonnes of burning waste from an abandoned village tip in North Yorkshire.

For more than four months, the burning waste has been left at this site near Selby. In places, the rubbish is piled up to 50 feet high. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue have been tackling the pile for months on end.

Residents in the nearby village of Great Heck have had to live in the shadow of this smouldering pile of waste since July. The stench is just one of their concerns. It also raised concerns about about exactly what was burning, and whether it could have an impact on their health.

Today, however, five different agencies including Selby District Council and The Environment Agency have secured funding to remove most - but not all - of the waste.

The original landowner will be ultimately be responsible for the final phase of the clear up though the Environment Agency say they will provide some assistance.

The mixed recyclable waste stores at this tip was run by Wagstaff Total Waste Management Ltd., but has been left since the company went bust in July.

Two people have since been arrested as part of an investigation in to pollution.

The clear up operation is estimated to cost around £750,000, and for local residents cannot be completed soon enough.

Click below to watch Adam Fowler's report: