A WASTE firm has been ordered to close down after residents were plagued with flies.

As the Evening Times revealed earlier this year, locals in Shawhead were being pestered by insects which they believed were coming from a nearby recycling plant.

Environmental protection officers at SEPA stepped in twice in less than a year, ordering GBS recycling in Coatbridge to control pests.

Now the plant has been issued with a revocation notice, meaning they can no longer handle waste.

Plant owner Tavis McCabe said the decision is "extremely disappointing" and he has already lodged an appeal.

However residents are overjoyed with the result, and hope it will put an end to their pest horror.

Locals complained of dozens of flies crawling on their food, on their faces and in their mouths as they slept at night.

A SEPA spokesman said: “SEPA has now served GBS Recycling Limited with a Notice of Revocation which removes the operator’s licence for waste activities at their site in Shawhead, Coatbridge.

“SEPA is satisfied that allowing the operator to continue waste activities at the Shawhead facility would cause pollution of the environment or have a detrimental impact on the local community and it’s amenities.

“It should be noted that GBS Recycling Limited have the option to appeal the service of the notice to Scottish Ministers.”

GBS owner Mr McCabe said: "SEPA have served a revocation notice in relation to the licence and an appeal has been lodged.

"The site has full planning for a waste transfer station granted the 2014 and even with the SEPA reaction in relation to the licence due to the political pressure and residents pressure the company is currently reviewing its options.

"The company has operated from that site for 4 years without incident and whilst the recent fly issue are regrettable the company did all it could to limit the impact locally of something that was out with its control.

"The licence being revoked when the site was clear and the company had taken significant steps in relation to investing in Environmental controls is extremely disappointing.

"Indeed North Lanarkshire Council sent Planning, Environmental Health and NLC pest control experts to the site on Wednesday 21st June and they had no action to take and confirmed the company had done everything expected to deal with any issues on site.

"The company is reviewing its next steps following the outcome of appeal."

An appeal decision is expected to take between 30 and 60 days.