'I am concerned about how the toxic odour is affecting people's mental health' - says a concerned Fleetwood GP

Residents in Fleetwood say their mental health is being eroded by persistent foul odours and fears over toxic gases hanging over the town.

Local GP Mark Spencer, who has served the community for many years, says he is increasingly hearing from patients who are withdrawing from daily life when the smell is at its worst.

Some are choosing not to leave their homes, while others are discouraging friends and family from visiting.

And he and fellow clinicians are frustrated that can’t help patients to pinpoint whether symptoms and illnesses are a direct results of living under a cloud of toxic fumes.

He said: “Firstly, it is a dreadful situation and I really, really sympathise with people.

“I regularly see people and children, when it's an adult, they draw attention to the stench and the toxins.

“When it's a child, the adults attribute the symptoms to it.”

He added that he is not the only doctor in Fleetwood - he believes many of his colleagues are encountering similar worries in their consulting rooms.

One resident who is concerned about his grandson’s recent diagnosis of global development and autism issues, firmly believes there has been a rise in cases in Fleetwood since the odour problem began.

However his concerns cannot be backed up medically.

“As a GP, what is difficult is we really do not know whether symptoms or an illness are cause by chemicals released or not,” said Dr Spencer.

“We have no way of investigating it. There is no advice or guidance by public health or the NHS.

“There are lots of things that could cause symptoms and illness and we can only treat the symptoms.

“If there's a respiratory flare up or an asthma flare up, sore eyes, we can only treat the underlying factors, we can't say what has caused it.

He also stressed that there is no definitive evidence linking the issue to broader trends in health conditions.

“We cannot say whether there has been an increase in things like ADHD or hospital admissions because of this,” he said.

There is one clear trend though.

“What we can say though is this situation is genuinely having an effect on the emotional well-being of people exposed to this stench,” he said.

“We are at a health centre and ill people are coming into this building and it's here, inside, where we work.

“And people are saying to me that they don't want to go outside. They want to keep their windows shut. They tell family and friends not to visit on the days when its bad.

“People are isolating themselves. Going outside, meeting people, having a walk is good for our health and people aren't doing that.”

Beyond the physical and emotional toll, Dr Spencer says there is a growing sense of neglect within the community.

“On top of that, they feel nobody cares, it's one thing after another, after another, after another.

“People feel Fleetwood is forgotten about, they say this would never happen in Lytham.

“It's consistently happening, when will it end?”