Wellingborough 'eyesore' sewage pipe to be removed by mid-May

Anglian Water said it had started to dismantle the overground replacement pipe in sections

A temporary overground sewage pipe outside a row of new-build homes in Northamptonshire should be completely dismantled by the middle of May, engineers have said.

The structure in Stanton Cross, Wellingborough, was built to allow repairs on the underground pipe after a leak was discovered in December.

Anglian Water said parts of the massive pipe were already being dismantled.

The 800m-long (2,625ft) structure has been called an "eyesore" by residents.

One person living nearby said: "Sometimes it really does smell, especially if the wind is going in your direction."

Repair challenges meant the pipe stayed longer than initially anticipated for another month in Wellingborough

To avoid digging up and replacing the old pipe, engineers inserted a new lining - pulling it through the existing pipe - to create a new pipe within the old structure.

That repair has now been completed, Anglian Water said.

"The repair itself has been challenging and we encountered many unforeseen obstacles once we excavated under the ground, and needed to work carefully around other utilities," said a spokesperson for the water treatment company.

"The pipe dismantling has now begun and whilst the structure was erected in a short space of time, the taking down needs to be slower."

The company said the pipe was being taken down in sections, resulting in some road closures on the estate.

Irthlingborough Road is due to close between 9-12 May and Driver Way between 15-19 May.

Anglian Water apologised to customers again for the disruption "right on their doorsteps".

The temporary structure was installed in December after a leak was detected