Crap TownsBritain's towns, rated by the people stuck in them

Crap Towns / Accrington / Pollution incidents

How often does Accrington get polluted?

19 serious pollution incidents have been recorded in Accrington or within 1 km of it since 2016, the joint 33rd most of the 948 English towns that have had one. 2 were major, the worst kind. The most recent came in December 2024 and put vermin in the air. Vermin turned up in 7 of them.

The incidents
WhenWhatWhereImpact
December 2024VerminIn the airSignificant
October 2024VerminIn the airSignificant
October 2024VerminIn the airSignificant
September 2024VerminIn the airSignificant
August 2024VerminIn the airSignificant
July 2024VerminIn the airSignificant
June 2024An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
June 2024VerminIn the airSignificant
June 2021MicrobiologicalIn the waterSignificant
March 2021SmokeIn the airSignificant
April 2020Commercial waste and household wasteOn the landSignificant
January 2019Contaminated waterIn the waterSignificant
October 2018SolventsIn the water, on the land and in the airSignificant
August 2018ContainersOn the landSignificant
June 2017AsbestosOn the landSignificant
December 2016Firefighting run-off, fumes, waste oil and smokeIn the airMajor
October 2016Commercial waste and household wasteOn the landSignificant
October 2016Specific waste materialOn the landMajor
October 2016Inert material or wasteIn the water and on the landSignificant
Nearby towns
TownDistanceSerious incidents since 2016
Clayton-le-Moors3.2 km53
Great Harwood5.1 km43
Accrington–19
Blackburn8.1 km19
Church2.0 km11
Rawtenstall7.6 km8
Oswaldtwistle2.7 km6
Padiham6.5 km6
Darwen9.1 km3
Haslingden6.8 km3
Rishton4.2 km2