A VILE stink wafting down a Droitwich street is being blamed for affecting trade by some town shopkeepers.

They believe the smell was emanating from raw sewage running down St Andrews Street from an open drain near to where building work is taking place.

Peter Jinks, owner of Spinning Wheel cafe and wine bar, said: "This smell got worse over this weekend and my night-time customers went away because they couldn't stand the smell inside.

"The front door is always open when we are open so the smell gets straight in."

Mr Jinks said he first noticed the smell on Friday and Saturday and he was now concerned he would have to close if it was not sorted out.

He added: "If it's like this tomorrow I can't open.

"Would you go and have lunch somewhere where you can smell this?"

Jason Lewis, of First Choice Financial, said: "It was about 11am it started. I went outside and put up with it for a little while and then we had a bad wave and it made me heave.

"We have had to shut the door to keep the smell out."

Matthew Dormer, of Dormer Plant Hire, said he had been told not to use the washing or toilet facilities at his shop, which is next to the building work.

But Kevin O'Hara, manager of Salters shopping centre, played down the problem. He said it was just a blocked drain and the smell had only been around for two hours.

He said: "It's just a blocked drain; these things happen.

"When it started coming out we called the plumber and it will be pumped out tonight.

"That will be the end of it; it will be working tomorrow."

The pong is a blow Droitwich can do without. Town shops suffered badly from the affects of last year's floods.