Mystery stench plagues residents

Southern Water said sewage had not been leaking into the lake

A mystery stench that has been leaving locals "gagging and with sore eyes" is baffling officials in a Hampshire town.

The smell has been plaguing the Workhouse Lake area of Gosport for the past two weeks.

One resident said the aroma varied from "sewage to rotten fish" while another said her family had been left with sore eyes and burning throats.

Gosport council believes recent hot weather may be a factor. Southern Water said it was looking into the case.

It had been suggested a pumping station may have been leaking sewage into the lake but Southern Water said it had been working fine and there had been no discharges.

Closed windows

However the firm said it would check the station in light of the smell.

Celia Livesey lives a mile away from the lake but her family has noticed the stench's effect.

"My family has had sore eyes, burning sore throats and streaming running noses," she said.

Haselworth Primary School has also been forced to close all its windows in hot weather due to the aroma.

David Jago, head of environmental health at Gosport Borough Council, said: "A combination probably of seaweed, hot weather and the mud and you tend to get smells from that.

"[But] we don't know what the actual cause is yet."

The Environment Agency has now been called in to investigate.