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Body parts left abandoned in a warehouse for nine months after waste firm goes bust

Northern head office of Healthcare Environment Services Ltd, which has been found to be in breach of its permits at five sites in England, after allowing clinical waste including body parts from NHS hospitals to pile up.
Northern head office of Healthcare Environment Services Ltd. It's emerged bodyparts were left for nine months in its North Tyneside centre after two men broke in and had to be decontaminated

Body parts have been left abandoned in a building nine months after a biological waste company went bust.

Healthcare Environmental Services (HES) building in North Tyneside closed in October, along with five other sites nationwide, and the firm was ordered to dispose of the body parts and medical waste.

It was reported to have allowed amputated limbs, infectious liquids, material linked to cancer treatment and hazardous pharmaceutical waste to build up in huge stockpiles.

After the firm went into liquidation the building was locked up and the waste untouched.

An unidentified DEFRA worker carries bags marked as 'Clinical Waste' at a farm in Hockering, Norfolk, where 35,000 chickens are to be slaughtered after a number of dead chickens tested positive for bird flu.
Worker wearing protective clothing carries clinical waste. Stock image.

The shocking news emerged after two men were arrested by Northumbria Police for forcing their way into the building - the pair have since been charged and appeared in court.

However, the site is deemed so dangerous the fire service was called in to decontaminate them.

A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman confirmed firefighters had to decontaminate two men. She said: “Our firefighters are highly skilled in managing a ranging of incidents, including dealing with hazardous and chemical materials.

“This obviously involves decontamination, where following our set procedures we respond to minimise the impact of any potential contamination.”

Since the break-in the Environment Agency and the police have provided advice to the liquidator, BDO LLP accountancy and advisory services, about site safety and 24-hour security is now in place.

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HES was at the centre of a case involving alleged stockpiling of clinical waste in October 2018. This led to the revelation that the government had introduced contingency plans to deal with healthcare waste which had been stored awaiting incineration .

In the following months, HES was stripped of NHS work, before announcing it had closed down in December 2018

It is not known if body parts remain at other sites, or when the waste will be removed for North Tyneside.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Healthcare Environmental Services repeatedly breached environmental permits at its sites and operated unlawfully. We continue with our criminal investigation and are working with the liquidator to advise on clearance of the waste.

“The waste remains on the HES Ltd clinical waste site at the North Tyneside Industrial Estate at Longbenton and we continue to inspect the facility to assess for possible environmental impacts.”

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