Mystery as giant £4.2m recycling plant disappears from Wigan

Waste Technologies UK has launched a desperate appeal for information after the £4.2m chemical recycling plant went missing.

The company arranged for the revolutionary technology that converts plastic into mixed oils to be stored at a facility on Miry Lane.

And the site where it was supposed to be kept no longer seems to be used for storage.

The firm said it had made various attempts to get the equipment photographed to verify the condition of it.

Finally, it called in Greater Manchester Police (GMP) earlier this month after all its efforts were to no avail.

A company spokesman said: “It is extraordinary that the plant that weighs 91 tonnes and would require approximately 11 truck trailers to be moved could be shifted without our company being aware. This is not something you could just slip under a coat and walk out the door with.

“Someone might recall a fleet or a convoy of trucks leaving this site on Miry Lane at some point during the last year or 18 months.

“This is essentially an attempt to jog people’s memories.

“This is expensive, cutting-edge technology and the plastics crisis makes it quite topical. It is an industry that is growing and is very useful in the present climate.

“Something has happened to this equipment and we don’t know what. This is of grave concern and we will take whatever steps are necessary to recover our property.”

The plant was supposed to be put at a site in Wales but was placed in storage in Wigan early in 2019.

Its disappearance is currently under investigation.

Anyone with information can call police on 101 or ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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