Compost factory smell ‘affecting our children’s lives’

“It can smell like rotten vegetables, a fusty odour, it’s very overpowering and sometimes we’ve no choice but to bring the children inside.”

Louise Quinn, principal of Cabragh Primary School in County Tyrone, has a problem.

The rural school is about a mile away from a compost factory, which she and others say is creating a bad smell.

In March, local residents protested outside Northway Mushrooms to voice their concerns about a smell that they say they’ve been living with for years.

Months later, the local school and GAA club say the smell is still impacting children’s everyday lives.

Earlier this month, the company went into administration.

Administrators have said the factory, which produces poultry litter compost, continues to operate on a “business-as-usual basis”.

BBC News NI understands the factory will continue to operate for the foreseeable future and the administration process could last weeks or months.

A spokesperson had previously said the plant is operated to “the highest standards” and that recent government odour assessments found “no issues”.

The company also said complaints about health “must be based on facts”.