Technically it had now been privatised, but its balance sheet had not been cleaned up.

ECONOMIST: Grab and smash

But it is not the only former development site which has had to be cleaned up at ratepayers' expense.

BBC: Ratepayers' ?300k bill to clean up development site

But the service, which will run the refuge once it is cleaned up, insists the traces were not significant.

ECONOMIST: Rocky Flats