A huge pile of agricultural waste dumped in a field is being blamed for a smell blighting large parts of south Manchester.
The unpleasant odour has been noticed in Flixton, Urmston, Didsbury, Altrincham and Stockport since it was first reported in Sale on Tuesday.
By yesterday the smell had reached as far as Heaton Mersey, Stockport. At first investigators suspected a farmer spreading liquid fertiliser or manure.
But last night Environment Agency officials found a huge 30 cubic metre pile of agricultural waste dumped in a field in Carrington near Sale.
Gordon Whitaker, from the Environment Agency, said: "We would like to thank all those who have made us aware of the unpleasant smell.
"The Environment Agency have had officers out tracking down what is causing this. We believe we have now found the source of the odour, which appears to have been caused by agricultural waste in the Carrington area.
"We are now focusing on identifying who is responsible for the waste, in order to resolve the current situation. We are working with Trafford council on the investigation."
Coun Brian Rigby, who represents Trafford’s Ashton-on-Mersey ward, said: "It’s not very pleasant. At first I thought it was liquid manure or someone muck-spreading in the Mersey Valley."
He joked: "None of my constituents has kicked up a stink about it though."
Norma Thorburn, of Dainewell Farm, in Carrington, near Sale, said: "It’s not us. It’s a bit early to be muck-spreading although pig muck can smell really bad."
A spokesman for United Utilities said the Davyhulme waste water treatment works was not to blame.
He said: "We have confirmed the smell has nothing to do with our network. There is nothing unusual happening in our sewer network or the treatment works. We’ve had no complaints from customers."
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
Can we get it shifted asap please? The stench was unbearable yesterday evening
I could smell it every now and again in Stockport town centre yesterday evening in nasty wafts. Amazing how far a stink can carry!
i quite like the smell.
Please move it asap. I felt sick last night it's disgusting!
He who smelt it delt it..
He who did the rhyme did the crime..
And there was me thinking it was the after affects of a dodgy ruby I had. Thank goodness for that now I can go on the thunderbox again without fear of uppsetting the rest of the north west
Man city are to blame. There has always been a bad smell around them.
I guess you could say 'The plot thickens'.
Blew me off my feet
It came from Trafford? The smell of fear perhaps?
Man citeh has a new bus driver, he got the wrong training ground is all and began unloading the players. not to qworry theyre all back at the council house now
ju pits (12/08/2010 at 11:27)
funny how its up at the swamp end!
Smells lovely down in east manchester!
WHEN WILL IT GO AWAY ITS AWFUL JANICE SALE
Didn't hear that the swamp had moved into Trafford!!!!!!!!
"We are now focusing on identifying who is responsible for the waste,in order to resolve the current situation.Erm..it was cows,sheep,pigs and some horses...!
It is a rural smell and it would be quite acceptable 20 miles down the road, you are all a bunch of winging townies so shut up, though it is not far from Manchester United, and City traing grounds, now I wonder if the problem is resolved?
I smelt as I was driving past Eastlands!!
london sucks, the green side of manchester (12/08/2010 at 16:01)
Reply
Report
It is a rural smell and it would be quite acceptable 20 miles down the road, you are all a bunch of winging townies so shut up,
=====================
Country folk will put up with a lot more than townies, like boredom, isolation, the stone age and web fingers - don't expect me to want to join up anytime soon.
london sucks, the brown side of manchester (12/08/2010 at 16:01)
"It is a rural smell and it would be quite acceptable 20 miles down the road, you are all a bunch of winging townies so shut up,"
How are the banjo lessons going?
So..............a dump is responsible for a nasty small. You don't say!
The tractors that dumped the waste were last seen going through altrincham town center towards dunham and should be on cctv :O(
THE TRACTORS THAT DUMPED THE WASTE WERE LAST SEEN GOING THROUGH ALTRINCAM TOWN CENTER AND SHOULD BE ON CCTV , ON THE DAY THE SMELL FIRST STARTED , YOU COULD SMELL IT COMING OFF THEM AS THEY WENT THROUGH THE TOWN ,THEY SHOULD BE FINED FOR THERE ACTIONS THE SMELL WAS TERRIBLE ,