Walleys Quarry: Local Mum takes fight to high court as son's life expectancy impacted by fumes
Exposure to gasses from Walleys Quarry near Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire, is thought to have worsened 5 year old Matthew's breathing condition, significantly impairing his health and reducing his life expectancy.
The family, who used to live just a stones throw away from the site, are now based around three minutes away by car. Mum, Rebecca Currie, is raising concerns for other children's welfare after a specialist report claims that Matthew's breathing has been significantly impacted by the sites fumes. Rebecca had her suspicions and earlier this year and sought medical advice .
- Rebecca Currie, Matthew's mum
The smell and the hydrogen sulphide gas have prompted protests from thousands of people in the area. People living nearby have described it as smelling like rotten eggs.
Over the last few months hundreds of people have come together in protest against the fumes, which they say are making their lives a misery. Many have now thrown their support behind Rebecca as takes her fight to the high court.
Matthew was born prematurely and had chronic lung disease as a baby, but his condition has slowly been getting worse.
But for Rebecca and her son it's much more than a bad odour.
The Quarry meanwhile says it's committed to doing everything it can to remedy the situation, adding it had every sympathy for the health of Matthew. But for Rebecca that's not enough. She says her fight won't end until the landfill is closed down.
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