A LAWRENCE Recycling boss has been unable to comment on whether the company had appropriate insurance to cover the damage caused by its most recent blaze.

It emerged in July that taxpayers’ money was to be used to demolish two fire-damaged bays at Forge Recycling facility, in Stourport Road, as Lawrence Recycling could not meet the costs.

Both the Environment Agency (EA) and Wyre Forest District Council said they would be seeking the return of the £250,000 used for demolition, despite part of the business, Lawrence’s Skip Hire, going into administration last week.

Chairman Andrew Gibson told The Shuttle that he could not comment on whether Lawrence Recycling had appropriate insurance.

The skip hire part of the business went into administration and 24 employees were made redundant after two major fires hit the firm in seven months.

A new company, Lawrence Recycling and Waste Management 2013, will continue to collect waste from its commercial customers but a licensed third-party site will be used for storage and recycling.

According to a Companies House report, the new company was set up on June 7, just over a week before the fire.

Mr Gibson clarified that the company was an “off the shelf” company set up by a law firm in Birmingham in June before Lawrence’s took it over in July.

He said: “Following the fire in June, we explored a number of options for the business including protecting the waste collection part, hence the new company being established in July and the name change.”