Dodgy building works have left a stench in the air

Workers are kicking up a stink after dodgy building works have left the stench of human waste in the air.

Raw sewage is being illegally funnelled from nearby houses into a ditch in Stag Lane, Kingsbury, resulting the distinctive waft around a scout hut, a medical clinic and a Sikh temple.

Workers and visitors at all three premises have been forced to tolerate the smell which is being blamed on incorrect plumbing in nearby houses that have undergone extension work.

Avtar Singh Hoonjan, President of the Sikh Temple on Stag Lane, said: “The smell is really bad. Ever since 1995, we have been on to the council to do something about it.

“Our congregation comes on Wednesday and Sundays, and they have complained that they don’t like coming because of the smell.

The ditch has attracted rats that have put holes in our bin. Even our cat is scared of them.”

Echoing Mr Hoonjan’s claims, Paul Tozer, who runs a scout group, said: “The smell from the ditch has been ongoing for several years but is particularly bad during dry spells.

“This year, the smell is worse than ever.”

A council spokeswoman confirmed the problem was caused by unauthorised building or internal alteration works and the drains are the responsibility of Thames Water.

A Thames Water spokeswoman said: “We are treating this matter with the highest priority.

“We are working with specialists to trace the pollution directly back to individual homes.

“Homeowners have a legal responsibility to ensure their drains are properly connected to the public sewers, and we urge people to use a qualified plumber when carrying out any work on their drains.

“A telltale sign that your home is misconnected is when a waste pipe falls into the same drainage gulley as a rainwater drainpipe from the roof.”