PENDLE Council has stepped in to help residents who fear a nearby factory is polluting their area.

Waterside residents claim emissions from Colne Anodising, in Garden Street, hang in the air and obscure buildings.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the Colne and District Committee by Waterside ward councillor Ian Robinson, after a public meeting.

Committee members were told that tests carried out on the emissions had revealed that they were not unlawful.

They backed a call for the council's environmental health manager to negotiate with the firm to increase the size of the chimney stack.

A spokesman for Pendle Council said: "Residents in the area are concerned about emissions from this factory.

"We as an authority are aware of their concerns.

"We have done tests on the emissions, which do not fall foul of any laws.

"However, the committee asked that our environmental health manager enter into negotiations with the company to increase the size of the chimney stack.

"The emissions will, hopefully, be dissipated further into the atmosphere.

"If we don't get an agreement from the firm we will have to review the situation again."

Coun Robinson said: "The plume coming from the factory changes colour. Sometimes it can be yellow, brown or grey.

"It's also very dense.

It can hang in the air and doesn't seem to fade in the way you would expect, so it does have an impact on the neighbourhood.

"I will be pushing for something to be done as soon as possible to improve the situation because residents will be a bit disappointed.

"For now, it's just a case of watch this space."