A PETITION signed by 524 angry Leigh residents - protesting about swarms of flies and repulsive smells coming from the Hope Carr sewerage plant - has been handed to representatives of North West Water.

The residents say they have been plagued by the flies and smells since May 1994 when the new sewerage plant came into operation.

And they are unable to relax or even work in their gardens without being plagued by the swarms. Many people have been bitten and washing hung out to dry has been covered with the insects.

Now, local councillor Brian Jarvis has come to the end of his patience with NW Water and has threatened to take legal action if the problem isn't resolved within 14 days.

And he's called a public meeting for May 14 in Leigh Town Hall (7.30pm) where he's invited NW Water officers to give an account of their position.

Rachel Roberts, 37, one of the petition organisers, said: "If windows or doors are left open, the houses are full of flies. The repulsive smells enter the houses through air vents and are impossible to get rid off until the air outside is clear again.

"Everyday life and activities that residents in other areas take for granted, we have been deprived of. The Water Board has been made aware of the situation, but we feel that they have not responded to their full capability in resolving the situation."

A spokesman for North West water said: "We are aware of the problem and we are doing everything we can to solve it. For the past 12 months we have had researchers from Manchester University monitoring the situation and they have now identified the cause as a particular type of non-biting midge.

"The sewage beds are being continually dosed with a special insecticide to stop the midge larvae from developing and we are also looking at the possibility of putting up a screen between the plant and the nearest houses to stop the midges gathering in large numbers.

"We have even looked at the way the plant operates to change the practice if it helps, so we really are doing everything we can to solve the problem for residents."

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