Complaints over farm sewage

Richard Haddock says the sewage enhances the farmland

People living in a Devon village have asked a farmer not to spread treated sewage on fields near their homes because of the smell.

Farmer Richard Haddock, from Churston, near Brixham, says using sewage sludge as a fertiliser is perfectly legal.

But local people claim the recent hot weather has made the smell unbearable. Torbay Council has had 45 complaints.

Mr Haddock says he is now covering the sludge with farmyard manure to try to stop the smell.

It's not straight raw sewage coming from the house, this is treated Richard Haddock

Mr Haddock's treated sewage sludge comes from the nearby South West Water plant. He said it is better than using artificial fertiliser.

He said: "For hundreds of years now, sewage has been used on the farmland.

"But these days, it is treated. It's not straight raw sewage coming from the house. This is treated, it's been through the sewage works and treated with lime to make it environmentally more friendly.

"We want it to enhance the farmland."

But one villager, Brian Taylor, said: "The smells have been like you could never imagine.

"People have said 'Well, you're living in the country. You must get use to farmyard smells'.

"This is not a farmyard smell. Some people have described the smell as being like rotting oysters."

In a statement, South West Water said the practice posed no risk to public health and the treatment of sludge at Torbay met the highest required standards set by the government.

The company added: "On the subject of odours, South West Water is working with the farmers, the Environment Agency and environmental health to reduce nasty smells."