PUBLIC authorities and emergency services have been criticised over their response to a fire that burned for four days last year at a waste plant in Prescot, in a report commissioned by the Merseyside Resilience Forum.

The fire gripped Remondis UK Waste Transfer Station, in Carr Lane, in December 2016, with residents becoming increasingly concerned over health risks due to the waste and smoke blowing into the air.

Knowsley Council is set to meet on Wednesday (June 28) evening to discuss a report into how effective the response was.

A debrief report on the fire includes comments from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Merseyside Police, North West Ambulance Service, Environment Agency, Public Health England, National Health Service, Health and Safety Executive and Knowsley and Liverpool councils.

Knowsley and Liverpool councils, the NHS and Public Health England all expressed the view that the blaze should have been declared a "Major Incident (MI)".

Knowsley Council commented: "If it was declared an MI, the majority of negative comments raised may not have transpired and when they did informed discussions would have been made after explanations had been given."

An NHS statement added: "Once an MI is declared formalisation of command and control improves response, co-ordination and situational awareness.”

Merseyside Fire and Rescue said the situation was not helped by poor water pressure at the nearest main - a gravity feed where water pressure could not be increased.

Air quality was not monitored by the Environment Agency even though Knowsley Council, the fire service and NHS requested it to be.

At the time the Environment Agency said that the "activation criteria was not met" - and that was disputed by Knowsley Council.

The agency then consulted Public Health England and they both decided that they were unable to monitor the smoke plume and applied generic advice, asking people to go indoors, lock windows and doors, and wait for further advice.

Investigations into how the fire began and what was pumped into the air are still ongoing.

It is being recommended that the Environment Agency review air quality monitoring criteria.

The fire service are auditing emergency water supplies across the region alongside United Utilities and local authorities.

The Merseyside Emergency Response Manual will include a process chart and a protocol to cater for a multi-agency incident that may fall short of a MI.

Environment Agency permits, issued to waste treatment centres like Remondis, are being changed to include maximum quantities of waste that can be stored.