FIREFIGHTERS have issued a warning over burning rubbish left behind at the Pioneer Mill by the Boxing Day floods.

On Tuesday, fire crews from Whitefield were training in East Street when they smelled burning rubber and discovered a quantity of waste on fire in Milltown Street at around midday.

Mounting piles of rubbish have gathered in the area since the devastating floods, which left the mill's businesses with millions of pounds worth of ruined stock.

The water reached above head height in some units and most of the businesses had been unable to get flood insurance because of their proximity to the River Irwell, adding to their dire predicament.

Fire watch manager Tim Eaton, said: “We were training across the River Irwell when we smelt the burning rubber and headed over to the mill to extinguish the fire.

“It’s a pain for the residents nearby because the rubbish seems to be burnt regularly and we’ve been before to put out the fire.

“It’s difficult for us to try and find out who is fly-tipping and setting it alight. Everyone tells us it has nothing to do with them.”

At last month's public meeting on the floods, council leaders said they were attempting to work with the building's landlord to arrange clean up efforts but were struggling to make contact.

Sarah McDermid, whose husband Adrian runs a kitchen and bathroom business at the mills, said: "We have our own wood burning stove at our unit, so have been burning our rubbish in there, but I know there have been other units warned about burning at the front of the mills.

"We have seen the fire engines down there before.

"There has been no help for us whatsoever from the landlord or the council. Sometimes you just have to fend for ourselves and that's what we have all done.

"In a way people shouldn't be burning rubbish, because of the environment and the dangers, but there aren't many options. When there is such a massive amount of rubbish caused by the floods, you have to get rid of it somehow."