CONTINUAL development on Ipswich Waterfront is getting up the nose of an unhappy shop owner.

CONTINUAL development on Ipswich Waterfront is getting up the nose of an unhappy shop owner.

Harshad Patel is causing a stink over an unpleasant odour of rotten eggs and sewerage which has plagued his family and customers for years.

The 53-year-old newsagent, who runs Offords in Fore Street, says his numerous complaints about the nasty niff have so far fallen on deaf ears.

“It is becoming less and less bearable,” said Mr Patel. “It's a really pungent smell of like rotten eggs and sewerage.”

Mr Patel believes the cause of the smell is not related to emissions from the Cliff Quay sewage works which in the past has provoked objection from people living nearby.

Similarly, Anglian Water described no reported problems at the sewage works in the last year, having embarked on a major project to cut the smells.

A spokeswoman for the company said hundreds of thousands of pounds had been invested to combat odour problems in recent years. “We do not believe the current odour is coming from our network,” added the spokeswoman, “but we will continue to be vigilant in the future in order to prevent similar problems.”

Mr Patel added: “We believe the sewer is not big enough to handle the volume of new development on the waterfront. We have been here for 25 years and it has never been so built up.”

Mr Patel said: “We have made numerous complaints to Environmental Health over the last few years but nothing has been done about it.

Customers living in the new flats in Neptune Marina have also complained of the smell getting into their homes.

A spokesman for the borough said: “We are aware of Mr Patel's concerns and the situation is being monitored by Anglian Water.

“We have asked Mr Patel to assist us by keeping a log because we believe this could be weather-dependent. We are also keeping Mr Patel up to date with any developments.”

Have you experienced a similar experience to Mr Patel's experience? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk