ALMOST 70 people and businesses contacted the council or hospital to say they were suffering from health issues related to the huge fire at Marshgate last summer.

The figure was revealed during the second day of a Swindon Borough Council inquiry into the fire, which burnt for eight weeks, aimed at highlighting what improvements can be made to the official response to future major incidents.

The inquiry is being carried out by a group of councillors who will eventually make recommendations.

Representatives from a number of agencies involved in tackling the fire, which saw smoke blow across homes and businesses, have faced questions, including Doctor Ayoola Oyinlye, of Public Health England.

He revealed two people went to the Great Western Hospital, while another phoned 111.

Another 65 people and companies also contacted the council complaining of problems.

Dr Oyinloye also revealed there were brief times when the contaminants in the smoke reached dangerous levels.

“There were times when the levels were not safe but this was for only very brief periods,” he said.

“We would take very regular checks of the air and sometimes the risk was very high but then half an hour later this will have dropped down.

“It was not sustained and could have been affected by factors such as the weather.”

It was also revealed that the exact cause of the fire was not known, although fire officers speaking at a previous hearing said they suspected it was material which had self-combusted.

One of the aims of the inquiry is to look at the Local Resilience Forum report into the fire, which is produced by agencies involved in any major incident, to make sure it is an accurate reflection.

A reason given for the delay in tackling the fire is that the Environment Agency took too long to use its enforcement powers because of current legislation.

Coun Brian Mattock (Co, Old Town), the council’s deputy leader, echoed the sentiment when questioned, saying a change in the law was needed to improve the response times.

He said: “Many of the individuals do not have the legal authority to make the necessary decisions. They have to seek approval to contribute to the overall solution.

“That is the bit which really needs to be looked at.

“Everyone needs to be provided with the powers to do their job.”

Lee Averies and his brother David have been charged by Environment Agency for numerous offences related to the site including breaching terms of their licence and dealing with controlled waste in a way likely to cause harm to the environment or human life.