RESIDENTS and shop owners in Westbury are calling for immediate action as an infestation of flies plagues the town.

A total of 19 calls were made to the Environment Agency on Monday as people noticed a drastic increase in the number of flies in their homes, offices and shops.

People believe the problem, which also blighted the town last summer, stems from the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre, owned by Hills Waste, on Stephenson Road.

Sri Karuppiah, manager of the Post Office in The Ham, around 500 yards from the site, said: “It’s incredibly annoying for me and many other people.

“We can’t have food out because flies cover it instantly, and you can’t use fly repellent because it’s bad for the food. A lot of customers have been complaining and our fly deterrent products are outselling everything else.

“The problem is getting worse. All they can offer is temporary solutions but the community needs a permanent one because it impacts a lot of people.

“It’s horrible going home in the evening and seeing your house covered in flies, and then not being able to sleep at night because they’re buzzing around your head.

“The fact is that the waste site is too close to a residential area. Moving it is the only permanent solution.”

The Environment Agency visited the site after the complaints were made, but said it was not possible for the flies in the wider Westbury area to have come from the Hills Waste site due to the wind direction and distance they would have to travel.

A spokesman for Hills Waste said: “We have been made aware of an increase in fly numbers in the general Westbury area over the past weekend.

“Hills has a robust fly management programme in place which has been agreed with the Environment Agency.

"This includes regular spraying of the interior of the plant with specialist insecticides that both prohibit the growth of larvae and eradicate fully grown flies that may be delivered with waste. The level and frequency of spraying is adapted when warmer weather is forecast.”

To make a complaint about flies in Westbury, call the Environment Agency on 0800 807060.