Rockcliffe residents feel 'abandoned' as fire still burns nine days on

• Report by Ralph Blunsom

People living in a village near Carlisle say they feel forgotten after a blaze at a nearby recycling centre continues to burn more than a week after it began.

Rockcliffe residents say they're worried for their health as smoke drifts across their homes.

Sally Tears lives in the heart of the village and says "It's been dreadful. I have been walking my dog with a mask on. I've actually had them on to help me breathe. The air has been thick, it's acrid with smoke and the important thing is we don't know whether it's lethal or toxic."

The fire is burning at a commercial building on the Rockcliffe Estate, near Carlisle, where more than 500 tonnes of plastic caught alight.

At the height of the blaze, five fire engines were at the scene and a special aerial ladder platform. 

Because it was thought the building's roof contained asbestos, people nearby were advised to keep their windows closed when the fire was first reported.

Today however, the Cumbria Fire service told us the fire does not present a danger to people living  in the area. They said, "the asbestos danger that was initially recognised we can now confirm has been contained to the site itself."

Cumbria fire and rescue personnel have been visiting the site everyday. The building is too dangerous for them to go inside so they're letting the fire burn itself out. It's expected the fire blaze will be extinguished within the next two or three days