Residents raise a stink over smell from burst sewer

Southern Water apologised after tankers caused disruption on Tuesday morning

Residents have complained about a foul smell after a sewage pipe burst in central Shoreham.

A sewer at the junction of Ravens Road and Southdown Road burst on Monday.

The smell was so bad that some locals were forced to keep their windows shut as Southern Water engineers worked to contain the water flow.

The utility company said: "We are doing what we can to contain the spill, and protect the local environment."

Ross Workman, who lives nearby, said the area was flooded with brown, smelly water.

He said: "The smell is permeating my flat so I’ve just had to shut all the windows."

A section of Ravens Road has been cordoned off while repairs take place.

'Soaked'

The repairs were initially delayed by a parked car which needed to be towed during the clean up operation.

Southern Water say as soon as the spill is contained engineers can begin to fix the pipe.

Another resident, Lindsey Ashworth, was relieved Southern Water was fixing the problem.

She said: "I’m just pleased they are doing something about it.”

Mr Workman said there had been an issue with flooding in the area for "donkey's years".

He said: "Underneath the bridge, for years, it’s flooded and it goes right across the road.

“Walking through you can yet soaked to the skin because drivers don’t take any notice.”

Southern Water said: "We anticipate that some local residents will experience noise and traffic disruption as tankers, storage tanks and pumps arrive at the scene to support.

"We appreciate the huge inconvenience this is likely to cause, especially during the night, and are very sorry.

"As soon as the flows are under control, our engineers will start to work on fixing the pipe."