One resident said ‘this is not a countryside smell’
Residents have hit out at the strange ‘burning’ smell (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
Leicestershire residents are demanding answers over a new smell in their area likened to “burning” excrement. The nuisance stench has been plaguing homeowners in Narborough and Littlethorpe for several weeks, with some saying the smell is now “getting too much”.
LeicestershireLive went out to Narborough and Littlethorpe to speak with residents affected by the new pong on their doorstep which was first reported late last month. One couple, a 69-year-old and 72-year-old who live in the Pastures area of Narborough, have hit out at the smell.
The couple, who have lived there for over 30 years, claim the smell is “getting too much” since first being reported. The 69-year-old, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had lived in the countryside, and “knew the difference between manure and this smell”.
She said: “This is not a countryside smell.”
Smells have been detected across Littlethorpe and Narborough(Image: Google Earth)
The 72-year-old, who also wants to remain anonymous, revealed that the smell gets “worse in the evening” and after contacting Blaby District Council (BDC) had been asked to keep a diary to track the smell. The LDRS has seen a copy of the diary, with comments including October 8 – first noticed [the smell] at 7.45pm – very strong odour, had to keep all windows closed.”
On October 10, the resident recorded a “putrid burning [excrement] smell” and described it as “very unpleasant”. Describing the impact, he said: “We’ve also seen dust and bits in the air coming from the Huncote area”.
The 69-year-old was also concerned the new problem smell was aggravating her asthma.
BDC said it had received two official reports of “unknown smells” in the area, but made clear there was “no evidence” to suggest it posed a risk to people’s health.
A spokesperson said: “We would reassure residents there is no evidence to suggest the smells pose a risk to health. We have received no reports of individuals concerned with impacts to health or breathing.”
Investigations undertaken by the council have now led to the belief the Littlethorpe residents’ problem smell is linked to a manure fire, but the council has called on Narborough residents impacted by the smell in that area to contact them so the cause of that stench can be investigated.
The BDC spokesperson added: “We received a report of an unknown smell in Littlethorpe on 30 September. An additional report for an odour in Narborough was received on 3 October, this included a report of dust and particles spotted in the area. We can reassure residents that there is no evidence to suggest either of these smells could impact health.
“Following an investigation the case in Littlethorpe was closed within three days, with the cause believed to have been an accidental manure fire on a nearby farm. We are still investigating the report in Narborough and are waiting on further information to support our work to understand the cause and its impact.
“We encourage anyone impacted by ongoing smells to contact us so that we can investigate the cause. Diary sheets help us identify patterns in the nature, continuity and frequency of odours, and help inform our investigations.”
When asked how long residents need to record the diary for, BDC said: “Residents reporting concerns are asked to complete diary sheets for around a week, depending on the frequency of the issue and how it is affecting them.
“For odour complaints dairies are reviewed to identify any patterns and for them to be cross-referenced with wind direction to help us identify a cause. Further detail to understand the impact of the odour may be required before we can continue with an investigation and update individuals on our findings. If we are unable to gather enough evidence on the impact of the smell we would close the case”.
