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UK residents in a seaside city have been living alongside a "horrible smell". Locals claim it's worsening, with a particular event last month being "absolutely disgusting". Those in the affected areas of the city have been enduring a dreadful odour over recent weeks - though this is far from a new problem.

The foul odour has plagued those in the affected part of the city of Plymouth for several weeks, yet this is far from a new problem - it is an "ongoing concern" that has been reported to authorities for years. Residents in the eastern part of Plymouth, especially those living in the areas of Cattedown, St Judes, Prince Rock and Coxside have been forced to keep their windows firmly shut to escape the stench. As far back as 2002, Linda Gilroy wrote to parliament to explain that "the lives of some 4,000 Plymouth constituents have been blighted by potent 'bad egg' sewage smells" for more than four years, at the time.

MP Luke Pollard revealed he had been contacted by numerous residents regarding South West Water's sewage works at Cattedown, with complaints particularly concentrated between Wednesday, April 22, and Sunday, April 26, when the stench was "unbearable".

The day prior, on April 21, the Safer Seas and River Service app (sewage alerts) flagged a "spill" at a nearby sewage overflow (Plymouth Central STW) - this overflow has recorded "117 events" so far this year, though it remains unclear whether this is directly linked to the smell.

On the matter, Luke Pollard said: "I have written to the company (South West Water) demanding immediate action. Many locals have shared incredibly unpleasant experiences, and it is frankly unacceptable that they are being forced to endure this.

"I have now written directly to South West Water to ask them to fix these issues once and for all. I will continue to press South West Water to address this matter and to put things right for people who live near the site."

South West Water has said it "recognises the concern caused by reports of odour in the Cattedown area", but added that they "have not identified any significant odour issues during inspections".

Yet residents have described the stench as one that "makes your eyes water", with another stating "it's bad - and they need to do something about it".

The "rank rotten egg" smell has reportedly been detected across a considerable portion of the city, with one resident remarking on the "awful smell" that even "reaches me in Plymstock".

Local people turned to social media to voice their frustration, with one saying "it's disgusting" and "God knows what you're breathing in". Another commented, "Even with my windows shut, I still smell it. Rancid."

Former Labour councillor Mary Aspinall (for Plymouth's Sutton and Mount Gould Ward) lost her seat to current councillor, Byran John Driver (Green Party) in local elections on May 7. But Mary had experienced the unpleasant issue along with other locals - and in early May, she encouraged all those affected to formally report the problem to both South West Water (SWW) and Plymouth City Council (PCC).

Mary revealed she held a meeting with Plymouth City Council Public Health Officers following residents' complaints about the foul odour, stating "we asked them to investigate".

A Plymouth City Council spokesperson said: "We have not received any recent complaints from the public but we would encourage people to report any issues to South West Water in the first instance." Further guidance on how to do this can be found on their website, the PCC explained.

PCC added: "If the problem is persistent we can also investigate but we would ask people to provide a three-week diary recording the issues they have experienced. More information is available on our website."

South West Water commented: "We recognise the concern caused by reports of odour in the Cattedown area. We have recently invested around £200,000 in improvements at the site, and our teams have been on site and have not identified any significant odour issues during inspections. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with Plymouth City Council Environmental Health Department if independent assessment is required."