Water company sorry after 'sleepless nights'

Sewage was pumped into tankers in Great Easton in Essex

A water company has apologised after work to repair a burst sewer pipe in a village disturbed residents' sleep for four nights.

People in Great Easton, near Great Dunmow in Essex, were exposed to strong smells, flashing lights and loud noises "24 hours a day" while waste was pumped into tankers between Saturday evening and Wednesday afternoon.

Anglian Water said the tankers were used so residents could carry on flushing their toilets and using their taps while the sewer was fixed.

Jackie Bendon, who lives closest to where the sewage was being pumped, said it had been "horrendous".

Jackie Bendon lives next door to the pumping station

"We can't even open any windows in the house," the 55-year-old said while waste was being pumped on Wednesday.

"We can't sleep at night because of the noise. It's completely disrupted our lives."

Mrs Bendon said the odour meant she was not able to use her garden, adding that she had to cancel a family barbeque over the weekend because of the disruption.

Neighbour Doreen Hart, 82, said she had bought lilies to mask the smell, which was unlike anything she had experienced in her 25 years in the village.

Mick Allen could not sleep with his window open while the sewage was pumped

Mick Allen, 66, said he and his neighbours had been "cheesed off" by the constant noise.

"We sleep with the window open but we've had to close the window a few times now because the noise is just too much and disturbs your sleep," he added.

The Environment Agency confirmed it was aware of the issue and that no water pollution or sewage discharges had been reported.

Anglian Water said: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused and like to thank our customers for their patience while we’ve got things back to normal."