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There is a bit of a stink hovering over Berrylands and it does not seem to be going away any time soon.

Residents have been complaining about a pungent smell emanating from the Hogsmill sewage treatment works in Marsh Lane.

Last month a children's playground near the plant was flooded by raw sewage and forced to close for four days.

Now Berrylands councillor Kevin Davis is calling on Kingston Council to serve Abatement Notices on Thames Water to act as a binding schedule for repairs.

He said: "The smell is a public nuisance and I think the council should be doing more to push Thames Water to clean up its act."

Abatement Notices have successfully been used by Hounslow Council in a similar situation.

A spokesman for the ruling Liberal Democrats said they agreed with Coun Davis in principle but pointed out the notices served by Hounslow Council took four years to be implemented.

He said: "We are aware of the problem and we are also aware it has not been solved yet but Thames Water are looking into it.

"An abatement notice would give them at least four years of legal wrangling so we think a better way is public pressure."

Steve Frost, who manages Hogsmill Sewage Treatment Works, said: "A problem with equipment used to process gas at the sewage works caused an increase in odour over the summer months. We haven't received any complaints since completing work to address this.

"It is impossible to make a sewage treatment works odour-free - but we're working hard to minimise any smells, and are carrying out improvements at the odour control plant on the site to make it more effective."

Derek Osbourne, leader of Kingston Council, has a meeting with Thames Water on November 8 to discuss the issue.

12:42pm Thursday 6th October 2005

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