RESIDENTS have slammed a company after faulty equipment resulted in it releasing fumes which have made their lives a misery.

Today the general manager of Metflex, in Queen Street, Great Harwood, said he understood why people were upset but promised the machinery would be fixed by the end of the week.

The firm has received a warning letter from Hyndburn Council's environmental health department after emissions rose above the limits set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

General Manager Michael Barratt said he knew about the problem in March, but after it was corrected for a short while the problem resurfaced.

He said today that the equipment, which acts like a car's catalytic converter, will now be fixed by the end of the week after the parts, which cost £32,000, arrive from the US.

Metflex employs 100 people and produces precision rubber parts like industrial diaphragms and is part of a German owned multi-national company Schlumberger.

Michelle Newman, of Windsor Road, said: "I have smelt it a couple of times when I walk across the park outside my house.

"It is quite bad and has been like this for quite a few months now. We can't stand out at the front."

Tony Akrigg, senior environmental health officer for Hyndburn Council, said: "About eight weeks ago, I had a complaint and we went out and talked to the company. They said they were operating outside their licence and they had a problem.

"They thought they had ways they could fix it, but they found that they couldn't.

"We sent them a letter so now they are getting some equipment. Unfortunately the only place they can get it is in the US and it takes time for it to come over. The equipment incinerates the products to break them down into less noxious admissions."

Mr Barratt said: "I respect what the residents are saying but the equipment should be installed by tomorrow and working by the end of the week.

"We have a solvent emission plant that gets calibrated every year, a kind of catalytic converter that costs half-a-million pounds.

"They came back in March and said it was operating above the limits, we did try and up the temperature, it worked for a while but then it went back.

"I got approval to spend £32,000 from my bosses and it has taken eight weeks to deliver and get through customs, we had to get the parts from the US.

"There is absolutely no truth in rumours that we are closing down, we wouldn't have spent £32,000 on new equipment if we were."