PEOPLE living close to a controversial waste tip on the outskirts of Hartlepool say plans to extend it will pose a threat to their health.

Residents of Seaton Carew voiced their fears at a public inquiry into an appeal by Alab Environmental Services Ltd over its plans to build a waste treatment plant at Seaton Meadows.

Alab is a sister company of Able UK, the company responsible for bringing the so-called "ghost ships" to Hartlepool for dismantling.

Hartlepool Borough Council's planning committee rejected Alab's application in August last year, resulting in a four-day Government Planning Inspectorate inquiry, led by Janice Chance, which opened on Tuesday.

Peter Tweddle, of Elizabeth Way, Seaton Carew, told the hearing that the Alab landfill site already contained asbestos, and the proposed plant would take in other toxic waste.

He said: "This is to take waste from the ghost ships, and it will be a dumping ground for the rest of the country's hazardous waste.

"The Environment Agency is prepared to let this go ahead, and we find that totally unacceptable and an offence to our human rights. We expect to be protected against the worst excesses of industry, not treated with total disregard."

Mr Tweddle quoted figures that showed Hartlepool had the highest death rate associated with heart disease and strokes in the country, as well as the highest cancer rate.

"Our lives seem to be very cheap," he added.

Another resident, Jean Kennedy, said she had lost five members of her family to cancer.

She said: "Seaton has been used and abused beyond all measure. Now we've got a mountain of waste which is just increasing in size.

"The planning inspectorate should uphold the vote made democratically by Hartlepool council to refuse this application."

Ian Fenny, operations director at Alab, said previously: "We originally got the planning permission to build the plant in 2003. It is the proposed modifications to the existing permission that have been rejected."

The inquiry was expected to be completed with a site visit today, and a decision will be announced later this year.