Objectors lose farm smell battle

Cornish residents have lost a court battle to rid their area of smells from a local dairy farm.

Residents say they have been afflicted by a "nasty, gassy odour" from Pawton Farm near Wadebridge.

The farm has 960 cows kept permanently indoors and residents have complained about the smell from slurry.

But farm owner Wills Brothers said the smell was "consistent with..living in a rural area" and a High Court judge rejected a bid for an injunction.

'Dramatic improvement'

Mr Justice Hodge told the court in London: "I have sympathy for the claimants who clearly had to put up with some pretty unpleasant smells."

However, he said the system for dealing with slurry had been modified since June this year and there was evidence of a "dramatic improvement" in smells coming from the farm.

The judge said he hoped that there would now be "a measure of good will between all parties".

Wills Brothers gave assurances that odours would be closely monitored over the next three months.