EVEN though they kicked up a stink about it, many families feared Felixstowe's nasty niff was here to stay.Residents of the resort's seafront area have been bracing themselves for its return this summer, sniffing each morning for the pungent pong which invades homes and clings to carpets, curtains, clothes and furniture.

EVEN though they kicked up a stink about it, many families feared Felixstowe's nasty niff was here to stay.

Residents of the resort's seafront area have been bracing themselves for its return this summer, sniffing each morning for the pungent pong which invades homes and clings to carpets, curtains, clothes and furniture.

But today Anglian Water finally cleared the air over the sewage smell – and said it hoped it would never return.

Final tests are being carried out on a new odour-eating system to cure the resort of its BO and the company is hoping for the sweet smell of success.

It has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to stop the smell which has pervaded the town in warm weather for the past four years since the £15 million Clearwater sewage treatment scheme was completed.

It found what it believes is the answer last year, but then there was a delay in installing the equipment after the contractors doing the work went bust.

An AW spokeswoman said today that the work had now been completed and the machinery is being commissioned.

"It's up and running and just being put through its final tests. We are very pleased with it and hopefully residents will notice a difference in the coming months – or rather they won't notice the smell," she said.

"It is a major investment for Felixstowe and we hope it will benefit all our customers in the town and stop the odour problems once and for all."

Felixstowe mayor elect Doreen Savage said: "I know they have done everything possible to stop this smell and I just hope it is successful this time.

"The smell has been absolutely awful at times. Let's hope we can look forward to nice clean smelling air in our town from now on."

Suffolk Coastal council's environmental health department received many complaints about the smell and staff worked with AW to identify the specific measures needed at the treatment works in Walton Avenue.

Previous action included installing a £100,000 bio-scrubber which released bacteria into the sewage to destroy the smells, but this failed.

The worst affected areas of town were the seafront, Coronation Estate and part of Cavendish Park when the wind is in the wrong direction.

Residents complained that the smell was so strong they could not have windows open in hot weather when the problem was at its worst.

With two caravan sites just yards from the sewage works holidaymakers also complained about the smell and there had been fears people would boycott the town because of the stench.

N What do you think? Write in to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk or visit the forum at www.eveningstar.co.uk