AFTER a 25ft pole “intimidated” and stopped a Merseyside resident from sleeping, now another similar nearby post is “bleeding” chemicals that are being walked into people’s homes.

This week, a Wallasey resident has complained about creosote leaking out from a pole onto the pavement, causing a “mess” due to the materials not being able to withstand higher temperatures.

The resident said he had covered it with sand in a bid to stop the leakage.

Openreach, the firm that installed it, has said this is an “extremely rare” occurrence, and apologised to people living nearby, who claimed to have found the substance on their shoes.

To fix the issue, the communications firm has wrapped the pole on Lycett Road in Wallasey Village to prevent further leaking.

Speaking this week, ward Cllr Lesley Rennie said: “Why should council taxpayers pick up the cost of cleaning up after Openreach?

“The creosote is seeping onto the pavements and the mess caused is being walked into people’s homes. Wrapping their poles in blankets is hardly the right image for a hi-tech, super-fast communications company.”

Creosote is a chemical distilled from tar, and often used as a preservative for wood.

An Openreach spokesman said: “We’re sorry to hear about the issue with one of our poles on Lycett Road. We’ve taken a look and wrapped the lower part of the pole to prevent any further issues.

“All of our wooden poles are seasoned and treated as part of the manufacturing process but creosote ‘bleeding’ like this is extremely rare.”

Wirral Council said it had acknowledged receipt of an email sent by the Conservative group to the chief executive about the problem, and will provide a response “in due course”.

It follows the pole saga in nearby New Brighton that saw mum Sally Griffiths in a battle with Openreach over a new structure erected outside her home.

The telecoms firm told Ms Griffiths the post was there to stay permanently despite her claiming it was “so tall I feel threatened by it”.

A petition was even handed to Wirral Council over the issue, with 200 people calling for it to be removed.

Last month, police were called to Field Road after a woman tried to stop BT staff from working on the pole, however no arrests were made.