Mystery of area's 'awful stench' partially solved
BBCThe source of a mysterious stink which plagued residents for several days has been discovered.
People living in the Netherfield, Colwick and Stoke Bardolph area of Nottinghamshire told the BBC last week the smell had been so strong it had stopped them going outside or opening windows.
It was described as smelling of urine, fish and tarmac, and was much stronger than usual, leading authorities to launch an investigation into the cause.
The Environment Agency (EA) has now said it was coming from a nearby Severn Trent sewage works, but that the exact cause was still being investigated.
Severn Trent said it had taken proactive measures across the site to identify potential sources and would keep the EA updated.
'Supporting investigations'
Residents said there had been bad smells in the area for several years, blaming the nearby sewage works and a pet food factory.
But when our reporter visited on 29 April, they told us the smell was the worst they had ever smelt.
One woman said she had kept her children inside to avoid it, and another said she had checked her cat litter tray and looked for defrosting fish, before realising the smell was everywhere.
Some expressed anger and frustration that it had been allowed to happen and that it had continued for several days.
On Wednesday, the EA said: "A Severn Trent sewage works has been identified as the cause of odours.
"We are continuing to investigate the issues to make sure odours are effectively controlled in future and will take appropriate enforcement action if necessary."
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: "We're supporting investigations to find the cause of a smell in Netherfield and the surrounding areas, with the source of the issue yet to be determined.
"We've taken a number of proactive measures across site to identify potential sources, and will update the Environment Agency on these findings."
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