Living within three miles of a rubbish tip could be damaging to health, scientists have found.

Toxic air borne pollutants from landfill sites raises the risk of developing fatal lung cancer by 34 per cent and increases the risk of hospital admissions by five per cent.

Previous studies had suggested living near to waste sites was linked to respiratory illnesses caused by breathing in endotoxin, microorganisms, and aerosols. But the Italian study is the first to link waste sites and cancer.

Around 45,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year in Britain and 33,000 will die from the fisease.

Co-author Francesca Mataloni of the Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, said: "The excess of lung cancer(near to tips) is a relatively new finding.

"People who live close to municipal solid waste landfills could be exposed to air pollutants emitted by the plants.

"We found associations between hydrogen sulphide exposure from landfills and mortality from lung cancer as well as mortality and morbidity for respiratory diseases.

"The link with respiratory diseases has been observed in other studies and it is potentially related to irritant gases and other organic contaminants.”