ARE scientists any closer to locating the mysterious whiff that has hung over Romsey for months?

Test Valley Borough Council officers (along with several correspondents to the Romsey Advertiser) believe the smell originates from Viridor’s Squabb Wood landfill site at Shootash.

“It is the council’s responsibility to investigate reports of a nuisance occurring. Our findings suggest that the unpleasant smell is coming from the Squabb Wood landfill site,” said a borough council spokesperson.

The landfill site is regulated by the Environment Agency (EA), which is responsible for investigating the cause or source of the smell.

The agency is continuing to investigate the matter and have requested that members of the public who experience the smell contact them on their hotline number, 0800 80 70 60.

EA staff have been monitoring the Squabb Wood Landfill site since December but have not pinpointed the source of the stink.

Mike O’Neill, Environment manager at the EA, said: “We have not found any breaches of Squabb Wood’s permit and at this time we have not ruled out any sites from causing the Romsey odour.

“Our investigation is ongoing and we are working closely with all the local waste sites, Southern Water and Test Valley Borough Council.”

The EA say that they are in daily contact with Viridor at Squabb Wood and detailed site inspections are carried out regularly.

“To reinforce our officer’s analysis, we also arranged for an independent inspection and review of the site by another regulatory officer who is unfamiliar with Squabb Wood but fully experienced in landfill operations to see if there was anything that had been missed. Nothing was indentified,” said Mr O’Neill.

A Viridor spokeswoman said the site had undertaken “rigorous monitoring”.

“All of the assessments have concluded that this odour is not detectable on, or at the boundary of, the landfill site,” said Viridor spokeswoman Tanya Reed.

“In an area where there are a number of possible causes of odour, we encourage all conceivable sources to be investigated, and confirm that Viridor will continue to work with the Environment Agency to assist with this.”

The EA pointed out that disused (closed) landfill sites sometimes produce odours and there are a number around Romsey but as yet none have been identified as the cause of the smell.

It has also be looking at the sewage treatment works at nearby Greenhill. Again nothing has been found there.

Mr O’Neill added all reports and complaints with times and locations are mapped together with wind direction to try to track the path of the smell.

“We are now talking to the Met Office about getting some odour source modelling done should we find the wind direction to be consistent with the complaints,” said Mr O’Neill.

Pressure is mounting on authorities to locate the cause of the pong and retired photographer John Critchley, who lives in Mill Lane, has even launched his own investigation.

“As the Environment Agency is taking so long to solve the problem, I am doing my own research with the aim of pinpointing it,” said John, who added that the pong was a “terrible blight” on the area.

He has the backing of Romsey’s Lib-Dem candidate in May’s General Election, Ben Nicholls.

Mr Nicholls, who has approached the EA himself, said: “What began as a mildly unpleasant mystery has rapidly become a blight on our beautiful town. The potential health and economic risks to the area are now causing real concern.”

Pensioner Grace White, also of Mill Lane, said the pong was a frequent problem and last drifted into her home on Sunday evening.

“The strong sulphurous smell once again pervaded my home!” she told the Advertiser.

“No windows were open. I was so distressed by the smell I was still awake at 2.30am. There wasn’t any wind that evening. My neighbours, like me, are convinced Viridor is to blame. Many of us have been affected when driving past the site in the evening. There must be a safer way to deal with our waste.”

Anyone who would like to help Mr Critchley in his investigations is asked to send him a text message to 07831 870120, or email him at johncritchleyabbey@ icloud. com.