INVESTIGATIONS are on-going to find out where a nasty whiff over Romsey is coming from.

Environment Agency officials and council environmental health bosses are investigating the smell which has been in the air, on and off, for more than a month.

The pungent pong, which smells like rotten eggs at times, has prompted a number of people to contact the borough council’s environmental health department, The Environment Agency and the Advertiser.

They included Mary Haverly who described it as a “dreadful smell”.

“The smell was so evil and strong one night that it woke my mother and I and my daughter up. It was so obnoxious that we wondered if it could be harmful,” said Mrs Haverly, who lives in Church Lane.

Some have pointed the finger of blame on the Squabb Wood Landfill site at Shootash.

However, Viridor, which owns the site, says doesn’t believe it is it is to blame for the offensive smell.

Viridor’s regional manager Tanya Reed said: “Neither we, nor the Environment Agency, have been able to locate the source of the odour. There is a smell in the air in the area, but no detectable smell on site.

“Thorough investigations have been made on site to identify any possible source, but nothing has been found. We are continuing to work with the Environment Agency.”

Officers from the Environment Agency and TVBC had spent considerable time on the site reviewing possible causes for this odour.

“All parties agreed that no smell or source of the odour could be found on site. All relevant gas extraction and operational equipment are working effectively. Our site manager will continue to work alongside the relevant authorities to help source this odour,” said Ms Reed.”

Even Romsey’s MP Caroline Nokes has had a whiff of the mystery stench.

“I have been contacted by a couple of local residents complaining about the ‘pong’ and have asked Brian Cowcher head of housing and environmental health at TVBC to investigate where it is coming from.

“Having taken efforts to inhale deeply whenever I am around the town I have noticed it on several occasions recently. Brian has asked that residents contact him when they smell it, noting date, time and location, and I have certainly done that,” said Ms Nokes “It is really quite a marked smell, a bit like rotten eggs, and it would be great if we could find where it is coming from. That is only going to be achieved by people reporting it to the borough council whenever they do smell it.”

Test Valley’s environmental health department confirmed the pong is being investigated but they had yet to find the cause.

The Environment Agency has also drawn a blank.

Their spokesperson urged the public report details of any further odour problems in the area to the agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060.