Residents living near a sewage plant in Fife have complained about the return of its notorious “pong”.
People living near the plant in Kirkcaldy fought a lengthy battle with Scottish Water over the “intolerable” smell that would come from the plant.
A new £4.4 million outer building was installed in 2010 to alleviate the stench.
But the building is undergoing repairs after a fire last month, caused by an electrical fault, and residents have reported that the foul odour is back as bad as ever.
Norma Rutherford, whose house overlooks Pathhead Sands and the site of the sewage works, said: “It smells like rotten eggs and cabbage.
“It’s been windy today but when the weather is still then the smell is unbearable. I’ve taped over our windows again to stop it from getting in.
“The fishmonger was down here recently and even he commented on it. It’s just not fair I didn’t think I’d have to go through this again.”
A Scottish Water spokesman said: “There has been a small increase in odour complaints following the fire, as well as inquiries about the completion of the repair work.
“We are taking action to carry out repair work at Kirkcaldy Waste Water Treatment Works following last month’s fire.
“We are liaising with our contractor to source specialist equipment needed to carry out repair work as soon as possible. Our current timescale is around eight weeks.
“A letter has been sent to local people to advise of this. In the meantime a temporary extraction fan has been put in place to minimise odours.
“We are grateful to customers for their patience and in the meantime would encourage anyone with any concerns to contact our Customer Helpline. We will investigate any issues.”
At its worst, prior to 2010, residents told how they were forced from their homes by the so-called Pathhead Pong emanating from the works.