A STEERING group made up of residents and officials has been set up to monitor developments at the Muirfield Close estate following fears over health risks posed by a former landfill site and the deaths of two little girls from a rare form of leukaemia.

Resident Greg Morris was elected chairman to run the meetings, which will be held every six weeks at a local church.

Vale Royal Borough Council will distribute strata surveys - reports done before the houses were built.

It was agreed that the tenants will be responsible for selecting and appointing a specialist independent consultant to carry out environmental investigations on the land.

Clr Dennis Ford, Vale Royal Borough Council's lead councillor for environmental health, said: "At the moment we don't know whether there is any connection between the environment and these two very sad deaths. But if there is something to find, we want to find it as much as the families.

"We will continue to be completely open and honest with tenants and we will be keeping in touch with them every step of the way.

"Our next step will be to draft a detailed brief and then the residents will appoint a specialist consultant to carry out the studies, which will include further soil analysis, gas emission tests, building inspections in homes and gathering evidence and knowledge from people in the area."

Dr Russell Keenan, from Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, the consultant who treated the two children, said: "I have been very impressed at the level of expertise we have on the investigating team. The deaths could just be a very sad coincidence but I am confident that if there is some connection we will find it."

Dr Nick Phin, from the Health Protection Agency, added: "We are keeping an open mind and will be investigating all possible causes of the leukaemias. This is the start of a long process and we hope that we can find some answers for the families."

If anybody has any information about what might have been tipped in the Muir Housing estate area in Leftwich, or has any photographs, ring principal environmental health officer Rupert Adams on 01606 867857. This can be done confidentially.