I have just stumbled upon your 'toxic sonae' page and I really have to get a few things off my chest regarding it.

My xxxxxx and xxxxxx have been working at the Sonae factory since it opened in 2000.

I do agree that health and safety standards are not what they should be and that there seems to be far too many 'bosses' in that place who don't have a clue what there meant to be paid for and that they must be cutting corners on safety issues.

Also, the people who must not be able to sell their houses because of the factory sitting outside them.

But what I cannot understand is how you can say, this is a direct quote, "damn sonae and all who sail on her...". I was gob smacked!!!

My xxxxxxxxx has lived in Northwood for all his life. After being made redundant at a local factory 6 years ago, the newly opened Sonae factory gave him the chance to get back to work and on his feet.

All people can say about Sonae is about how awful it is and the terrible smells, oh boo hoo....Like if all the residents of Northwood would get off their backsides and got a job maybe they would let my family get on with there's.

Isn't it funny 'the accident group' in the townie must be raking in the claims, and the social as well when all the saddo layabouts are all claiming mobility because of dreadful Sonae. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if sonae was shut down that more people would be claiming benefits and workers taxes would go up???? But hey, that's because most of Northwood's residents are jobless anyway!!!

Also, I remember before sonae was built the 'Residents of Northwood' were busy complaining about Croda Kerr, fire extinguishers on the industrial Park, (oh , by the way, that's another thing, its a INDUSTRIAL ESTATE-HELLO???? aren't factories meant to be there?)

Me and my husband have been able to buy things and start a family, something we would have had to put on hold if he didn't have his job at Sonae.

If the factory was so terrible it would be shut down already, and me and my husband will be standing in the dole to get some money to feed our son, Maybe you lot should think about that before you should start slagging the place off.

Now all together now....."IT'S NOT SMOKE, ITS STEAM!!!" Why don't you go up the big ugly eye-saw of a chimney and take a look, I hope you all fall down it.

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Losing the Plot!

Oh dear!, some-ones losing the plot! And this is supposedly a woman who knows a couple of people who work there including her husband, and her life has been transformed because she can take her husbands wages and 'start a family' A Sonae Family! How nice! You can name your first son 'Woody'

The ONLY email supporting Sonae!

This is the ONLY email Kirkby Times has ever received saying anything positive about Sonae, but even Sonae would hold this back with a bargepole, she's absolutely insane! This is like reading an email from a young twisted version of MAGGIE THATCHER.

A Young Mad Maggie Thatcher in Northwood!

Let's look at what this Sonae supporting wife has told us, we feature a quote from Kirkby's answer to a Young Mad Maggie Thatcher,(quotes are in red) then a clever/smart/funny answer. Other readers in the Northwood Area are invited to email in what they think of her casual insults and digs at us here.

1 - "I do agree that health and safety standards are not what they should be"

Ah, she agrees the Health and Safety is not what it should be - she should know - her husband works there. If the health and safety is NOT up to scratch the factory should closed, simple as. She is supplying ammunition for us. Thanks!

2 - "they (Sonae) must be cutting corners on safety issues.

Again, we have ammunition against Sonae as the author clearly states that safety is being compromised.

3 - "Like if all the residents of Northwood would get off their backsides and got a job maybe they would let my family get on with there's."

Real clever thinking - If we were working, we'd not care about our health or moan about Sonae. She admits her husband was unemployed for 6 years. Couldn't get off his backside maybe?

4 - "most of Northwood's residents are jobless anyway!!!"

Not your husband though. Not now!

5 - "the saddo layabouts are all claiming mobility because of dreadful Sonae"

And was'nt your husband claiming JSA or Income Support for 6 full years?


6 - "If the factory was so terrible it would be shut down already"

Right, great logic there - someone naïve enough to believe that Knowsley Council and Sonae would never harm us and always do the right thing! Fantasy time!

7"IT'S NOT SMOKE, ITS STEAM!!!"

Really? That's funny, Sonae have had a planning application to actually build the chimney higher, and if it was just steam, why would they bother? - Watch the video of this STEAM!!! And look at the pic below………


8 - "Why don't you go up the big ugly eye-saw of a chimney and take a look, I hope you all fall down it."

So you admit it's an eyesore as well? - It's soon gonna be made 85 metres high and this is to stop the smell - ask Sonae, and ask yourself does steam smell? As for your offer, no thanks - and for someone whose husband risks his life to pollute his own community, do you really expect Northwood to cheer for him or you?

Damn Sonae and All who sail in her. Should our kids risk cancer to pay off your mortgage? I say NO - and Northwood agrees - local democracy dictates Sonae should close - it's almost like crossing a picket line just working there. Scabbing on your own community. Anyone who took the Job at Sonae was agreeing to line their pockets whilst our lungs were being lined with the pollution from Sonae. If they never thought of that, then where does that leave them on the old IQ scoreboard? We can all make excuses - arms dealers do it, burglars do it, crack dealers do it, they all kid themselves that earning a wage is a good thing no matter what harm it does. The saddest excuse in the world is the one that goes "We're only doing a Job" That's the only real excuse Sonae Workers have got.

Your new car is more important than the health of the community

Paying off the car or the mortgage is a priority, even if it leaves a cancer hotspot in a few years time, Northwood is already a cancer hotspot, way above the national average.

The vast majority of Sonae workers don't live anywhere near the plant - you only need stand outside to see how many lads walk home - not many atall - most drive and live outside of Kirkby, never mind Northwood. Would Sonae or Knowsley Council care to supply the figures for the percentage of people from Kirkby and Northwood in particular, who work at the Sonae factory?

The amount of wealth Sonae has bought to the Northwood area is minimal. True that a few local people would lose jobs if it were closed - but the overall benefit to Northwood outweighs the concerns of those who work there.

Welcome to Kirkby where the Council can have 99% opposition to something, yet still bulldoze through the plans. This is Democracy in reverse. It must be stopped!