THE cause of a mysterious smell lingering over Salford Priors last week has been discovered.

Residents living along Evesham Road complained of powerful sewage odours and many believed the village's old open cesspit, unused for forty years, could be to blame.

"Believe me, there were times when Salford Priors smelt anything but sweet", said parish councillor Tony Wolfe, himself a resident of Evesham Road.

"People were being driven out of their gardens by the smell. This was a seriously powerful pong."

"My neighbour Bob Passam, the licensee of The Bell public house, told me that the stench at night was overpowering. For Bob, it was a very big problem. He serves meals. Imagine a room full of diners when in wafts the unwanted scents of Salford."

"My colleague on the parish council, Jane Corbett, talked to Environmental Health Officers from Stratford District Council and they came straight out to investigate.

The old cesspit, which is a very large and dangerous site, was looked at.

But engineers from Severn Trent said it was not to blame.

Instead they have pointed the finger at residents and businesses, blaming them for washing away fat causing a major build up in Salford's main sewer.

Severn Trent press officer Matthew Wildsmith said: "We did investigate the sewage problem and identified that the cause of the problem was a build up of fat from kitchens and dishwashers.

"We would advise residents to not put their fat down the drain but to wrap it up and put it in the bin. People should not use their sinks as bins, always wrap your fat up in paper and throw it away."

Specialist equipment was brought in to blow out the offending blockage. Severn Trent have assured residents that the area should smell a lot sweeter now.