RESIDENTS living near a recycling plant say they are facing insect misery for a second year in a row.

Hundreds of flies have invaded homes in Shawhead since the weekend.

Locals have reported having the insects crawling on their food, in their beds and over their faces during the night and many have now contacted environmental health.

Residents believe the source of the flies is local firm GBS recycling, which was found to be causing a problem last year.

However the plant owner insists he has done “everything possible” to minimise the number of flies, denied there was a “fly issue” and said his plant is “immaculate”.

Keirsten Smith, 46, who lives directly opposite the plant, said she has swatted more than 100 flies in 48 hours.

She said: “The smell coming from that plant would knock you sick.

“There’s flies everywhere. I can’t eat due to smell and flies are literally landing on your food.

“I can’t sleep as all windows need shut tightly and the house is so warm.

“This is now the second time.How many more times must our community suffer this?”

Sarah Conroy, 24, is another resident in the area and said: “It’s absolutely disgusting.

“I get that its summer and flies are going to come out but the amount we’re getting is not normal.”

Tavis McCabe, who runs GBS recycling, said: “There is not a fly issue here.

“There is about 150 tonnes of waste on my site at the moment, and I’m licensed for 1500.

“Last year there was about 1000 tonnes of waste on my site, now there is about 150 tonnes.

“We take our environmental policies very seriously, we carry out pest controls in winter and in summer.

“The place is immaculate

“This is going to be an issue every summer, they are going to have flies in the house and they are going to blame the recycling facility. The site is licensed and we have planning permission.

“We carry out pest control, there are measures in place. I’m not in the wrong side of SEPA.

Last year I was exceeding my storage times and I had 1000 tonnes of waste on site.

“ It’s Scottish summertime, its rainy, 17 degrees, it’s muggy.

“If you come to my site just now, compared to last year, there is no waste in my rear yard or in my bays. There are no flies on site.”

A spokesman from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said: “SEPA has received a number of complaints regarding flies in the Shawhead area of Coatbridge, the first of which was received on Sunday. SEPA officers carried out an inspection of the local waste facility, GBS Recycling Ltd, on June 5 and have substantiated the presence of flies on site.

“Discussions are ongoing with the site operator regarding pest control measures, to eliminate the impact of flies on the local community and SEPA have emphasised the need for this work to take place as soon as possible. SEPA will continue to monitor the site and will give consideration to any appropriate enforcement action required, to ensure this issue is resolved.”