Residents near chemical plant worried over toxic soil in their gardens

By Charlie Fenton

Families living near a former chemical plant have been told not to eat vegetables grown in their gardens or eggs laid by pet chickens amid fears they contain cancer-causing toxins.

Hundreds of households within a one-kilometer radius of the former ICI plant at Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, have been warned their gardens could be contaminated with deadly "forever chemicals."

Tests have shown that PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid)—chemicals often used to coat nonstick pans—has been found in the soil of 71 properties surrounding the plant.

But it is believed a total of around 250 properties are at "high risk," according to Wyre Council Leader Michael Vincent.

PFOA is known to accumulate in the blood and can cause cancer and immune system disorders, as well as high levels of bad cholesterol.

Now, a group of around 60 residents is considering taking legal action over the pollution with the help of the environmental legal firm Leigh Day.

One local resident has revealed how she suffered a sudden and unexplained stroke after eating eggs, fruit, and vegetables from her garden for over a decade.

Mother of four Sam Linacre-Hammond, 48, actively grew fruit and vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, and strawberries, and kept hens and ducks that laid eggs her family ate.

Linacre-Hammond suffered a cryptogenic—or unexplained—stroke in 2020, which she attributes to the consumption of toxic food.

"It makes me angry and guilty for poisoning my children for all of these years," she said.

"We would eat two eggs a day each, which we would have in sandwiches or use while baking, and the veggies were used in most dinners. I used the area a lot with my children; now it is abandoned, we don't dare go on it anymore."

She added: "I was fit, healthy, and a low risk for something like this to happen. The only thing doctors said that could have caused it was high cholesterol. I have never suffered from high cholesterol ever and now I'm on two medications to keep it down. There are a lot of unanswered questions but I think it is the poison."

Linacre-Hammond bought an eighth-of-an-acre piece of land next door to her house—which sits around 400 meters from the former Thornton ICI plant—from the Wyre Council in 2011.

Last month, the Wyre Council said scientists sampled eggs from a small number of domestic poultry keepers within 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) of the former ICI site.

The Food Standards Agency told Linacre-Hammond that eating just one of her duck eggs would exceed the safe weekly limit, though she revealed she stopped eating them a year ago when she was first warned.

The neighboring allotment next to her land on Occupation Road has since been closed by the council after meeting the statutory criteria for formal classification as "Contaminated Land," and any ingestion of food from the land could cause "harm to health."

The Food Standards Agency said this is because people who eat "large quantities of vegetables on a daily basis from Occupation Road Allotments are likely to be increasing their exposure to PFAS."

A multiagency investigation, including the council and the Environment Agency, into the contamination by PFOA from the ICI site was launched in 2024.

PFOA is in the same family as PFAS (per- and poly-fluorinated substances), also known as "forever chemicals."

According to the charity CHEM Trust, almost everyone has chemicals from the PFAS family in their body; however, high levels pose serious health risks.

The investigation came after the Environment Agency obtained information indicating historic emissions of PFOA from the ICI site, which is now AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd.

More from this section

North Korea fires two rounds of ballistic missiles: Seoul military

Nigeria sweats in heatwave as Iran war drives up costs to stay cool

McIlroy starting with Young, Howell in Masters repeat bid

It is believed the ICI factory had been pumping PFOA into the air from the 1950s until 2012, when it was phased out. At the time, the substance was in line with U.K. legislation, but it was later classified as carcinogenic.

In 2024, the council sent letters to residents warning them not to eat anything from their ground, though initial guidance given was to wash and peel any produce they are growing to remove any potentially contaminated soil or dust.

Three phases of soil testing to determine the level of risk have since been conducted.

Last year it was revealed that all allotment soil samples near the site reported detectable PFOA concentrations, with a maximum of 20.2 micrograms per kilogram and an average of 5.92 micrograms per kilogram. This exceeds the precautionary screening value of 1.4 micrograms per kilogram by almost five times.

Further samples were taken from 63 locations within 500 meters of the AGC facility, including gardens. Of the 291 soil samples obtained, 287 (99%) indicated elevated PFOA with a maximum value of 144 micrograms per kilogram and an average of 4.18 micrograms per kilogram, compared to a screening threshold of 7.6 micrograms per kilogram for gardens where vegetables are grown.

The summary states that "the results paint a picture of sporadic contamination, indicating zones of 'higher' and 'lower' risk."

So far, soil samples from 71 properties showed the presence of PFOA near the site, though some of the properties affected were built on parts of the old ICI location. While no action was deemed necessary in the majority of cases, seven "high-risk" properties require further investigation, one of which was Linacre-Hammond's.

Council Leader Vincent says residents have a "right to be upset."

"I feel their frustration, and residents need answers," he said. "I don't have an exact number of properties to hand for the 1-kilometer zone, but there are around 1,000 in total. The higher risk area is to the south and southwest of the site. I'd say it was no more than 250 in the high-risk area."

He continued: "We have test results back from 71 properties within the 1-kilometer zone as part of phase 3. Of those, seven are considered higher risk and need further investigation. The other 64 will not need any further investigation but the seven will. The Environment Agency and partner agencies are currently planning phase 4, and the council wants to be sure it's done in a way that means every household gets a safe, reliable answer regarding contaminated land."

Vincent said the council is committed to resolving the matter urgently so cleanup can begin.

"Our investigation is separate from any health-related inquiries, something I know residents are also worried about," he said. "I understand there has been talk of legal action, and my advice is that residents should be taking correct legal advice if there is a genuine claim."

Vincent gave no time estimation for when any cleanup action may take place.

Retired couple Frank Howarth, 80, and Marlowe Howarth, 72, who live over a mile south of the plant on Rosendale Avenue, said it "wasn't nice" to receive the letters, but they do not believe it has affected them.

It comes as an allotment on the neighboring street, Sandringham Avenue, has also been closed by the council as a precaution following the results from Occupation Road.

"We live a distance away, but it hasn't been nice to receive those letters in the mail, especially the thought of knowing it may have spread this far," Frank Howarth said. "We think the council were just being cautious about sharing the letters with us; we still eat apples from a neighbor's garden in the summer."

According to the council, no other areas of land apart from Occupation Road, in either public or private ownership, have been designated as contaminated under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This is the legislation that establishes a legal framework for dealing with contaminated land in England, according to the government.

The council has said consistently that it is supporting residents affected by the pollution.

A spokesperson for AGC Chemicals Europe said the company has since opened its own voluntary on-site investigation into the contamination and its "highest priority" is to support the affected community.

The Environment Agency says it is supporting the multiagency response.

A spokesperson for the multiagency group involved in the investigation said: "The investigation has now reached a challenging stage where we have gathered important data, but this information must undergo thorough scientific interpretation before we can answer the questions we know the community will have. Throughout this process, we have made transparency with the community our priority and we will continue to share updates as soon as we receive further information."

Leigh Day partner Sarah Moore, who leads the firm's investigations over PFAS pollution, said they are investigating the possibility of legal action on behalf of residents in Thornton-Cleveleys.

"So far, around 60 residents have contacted us about a range of issues, including possible health impacts and the potential reduction of property value," she said.