THE former owner of a scrap yard which was the scene of a huge fire earlier this week has hit out at a council for their “totally inadequate” approach to managing the site.

The fire inside the Jap Euro North East Ltd scrap yard near Middlesbrough College on Monday destroyed dozens of cars and forced nearby residents to be evacuated from their homes.

The scrap yard is on land which was appropriated by Middlesbrough Council last year using a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO), and has also been earmarked for a new school.

But the stock of burnt-out cars still belongs to former yard owner, Zafar Quyoom, and the two parties are at loggerheads over their removal.

Mr Quyoom said there has been a number of thefts at the site in the 18 months since Middlesbrough Council took ownership of the land, and he alleges he has offered to clear the premises but the authority has “failed to meaningfully engage”.

But the council say no submission has been made by the company which meets these necessary health and safety standards, and they cannot allow access to the site in a manner “which puts people, whether council staff, contractors or the claimants representatives, at risk”.

A spokesperson for Cleveland Police confirmed there had been seven reported thefts at the site since March 2018.

In a statement, Mr Quyoom said: “Following the council’s possession of the premises, we have repeatedly made Middlesbrough Council, the Environment Agency , and Cleveland Police aware of regular break-ins and thefts from the premises and the numerous environmental and health and safety issues arising as a result.

“In March 2019, we offered to clear the premises of all end-of-life vehicles, parts and environmental contaminants under a plan to be monitored by the Environment Agency and the council. To this end, we arranged for vehicles, forklifts, and manpower to be made available, and we made arrangements with local licensed waste management companies to accept all of the above materials in an orderly manner. We estimated that the clearance could be fulfilled within two months.

"Despite repeated requests, the council have failed to meaningfully engage with and progress our offer to clear the premises."

A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said: “In September last year the claimant was given notice of a six-month period in which they could reclaim the stock otherwise it would be disposed of.

“Days before that deadline, the claimant informed the authority that they did indeed wish to remove the stock.

“However, scrap vehicles are officially designated as hazardous waste and the handling and removal of them is required to be in compliance with all Environment Agency licenses and guidance."