A NUMBER of staff at an East Lancashire tip have been suspended after an allegation of landfill tax-dodging.

An investigation is under way into the conduct of the men at the Whinney Hill plant in Altham.

The Lancashire Telegraph understands bosses are investigating allegations a business was allowed to dump its waste at the site without paying the necessary landfill taxes, which are around £56 per tonne of waste.

Part of the probe will also look at whether staff themselves received payments.

Waste giant SITA, which manages the site, confirmed the staff had been suspended and an internal investigation is under way.

Just eight people work at the facility, but bosses insisted they had ‘contingencies’ to cope with the staff shortfall and said the service for thousands of people across Lancashire would not be affected.

It would not name the workers or reveal how many were involved, but it is understood to be between two and five people.

The suspensions are believed to be a precaution at this stage and bosses will decide in the next two to three weeks whether to take the matter further and refer it to the police.

Harold Council, SITA’s regional manager for the North West, said: “We are looking into it. It is a normal internal disciplinary investigation, and we have to look at these things in the appropriate manner.”

Mr Council would not discuss details of the allegation.

Ward councillor Malcolm Pritchard said: “I am very concerned about this, because they have always been very helpful up there.”

The Environment Agency, which regulates the site, said it was not involved in the matter, which could be referred to the Inland Revenue as it relates to tax issues.

Landfill tax is imposed to try and persuade businesses to recycle more of their waste. Councils are also liable for the tax, which rises every year to try to drive up recycling rates.

The land at Whinney Hill used to be managed by Lancashire County Council, and used to be a busy working quarry.

Rennie Pinder, chairman of the Whinney Hill working group on Altham Parish Council, said: “I am concerned about this, because people throughout Hyndburn and beyond use the site and pay their landfill tax quite legitimately. I am sure SITA will be looking into it.”

Across the country, Sita handles more than 10million tonnes of waste a year, extracting gas from the landfill which is converted into electricity.

As well as Whinney Hill, it operates landfill sites in Preston and Fleetwood, generating enough power to heat 36,000 homes a year.

Comments unavailable on this story for legal reasons.