Is that the refinery or the chippy?

Ellesmere Port's got the Vauxhall plant, the Stanlow refinery and a smell that rolls over the town when the wind turns. Locals call it Smellsmere Port, and they're not joking. 10 serious pollution incidents have been logged round the Port since 2016, so they've got a point. The canal museum's all right.

The town centre's waiting to see which shop shuts next. The banks have announced four branch closures since 2022 and a library's gone. The kitchens fail their hygiene inspections nearly twice as often as the typical town's, so the smell isn't always the refinery.

The editor, who brought the smell home on a coat