Mystery surrounds 'awful stench' in area

A council is investigating an "awful stench" residents have compared to animal urine, fish and burning tyres.

People living in the Netherfield area of Nottinghamshire say they have dealt with infrequent bad smells for years, with some pointing to a nearby sewage works and pet food plant.

But many told the BBC that the odours of the past few days were "worse" and "different" - and were closing their windows and staying indoors to avoid the stink.

Gedling Borough Council said on Tuesday it was aware of complaints from the Stoke Bardolph, Netherfield and Colwick areas, and was "investigating the sources".

Emma Kelvey, 33, who lives on the Rivendell estate, near Netherfield, said to her the smell was "unbearable", particularly in the mornings, when it smelt "toxic".

"It gets to the point where windows are closed, we're not opening doors," she said.

"I don't really like bringing the children out in it to be honest.

"We'd like some answers as to where the smell's from and what they're doing about it."

When the BBC visited on Wednesday, the smell was noticeable at several points, which took 10 minutes to cycle between, and at times was very strong.

Some said it had been going on for days, others for weeks.

A neighbour, Sharon Vassallo, 55, said she and a friend were "heaving" from the smell when they arrived home last night.

She said: "I've done my washing today, and I've had to put it on the clothes horse in the house, you can't open your window.

"I don't know what it is, but it's absolutely disgusting.

"We want action, we want action straight away, we can't live our normal life."

The area has experienced bad smells over the years.

Residents believed this has likely been caused by a sewage treatment works in Stoke Bardolph, or a nearby site believed to process animal by-products into pet food.

Other theories included fertiliser being spread on fields, or new developments being built.

But according to many, including 42-year-old Maria Allsopp, a lifelong Netherfield resident, this is the worst it has ever been.

"This year's been something else, it's never been this bad before," she said.

"The smell changes, one day you can wake up and it smells like fish, another day you wake up and it smells like a toilet.

"It's very strong. I've been keeping my windows closed - you don't want this smell in your house."

Chloe Beattie, 28, initially thought her dog had urinated on the concrete in her garden and tried to scrub it out before discovering it was more widespread.

She said: "It's horrible.

"When I go into work, I'm worried, do I smell like that?"

The BBC has contacted Severn Trent, which runs the sewage works, and Sarval, the owners of the pet food plant, for a comment.

Severn Trent said: "We're supporting the Environment Agency and local council in their investigations to understand if the smell is coming from our Stoke Bardolph sewage treatment works."

The BBC has also contacted the council, asking about its investigation and action it has taken to tackle the smells.

It said: "We are aware of the issues around the smell and are currently investigating its cause."

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