Smelly gas is set to pour out over south Essex as major works are carried out on a dump site.

People in parts of Basildon and Castle Point are being warned to brace themselves for an unsavoury five months due to the work starting at Pitsea landfill.

Cleanaway, which owns the site, and the Environment Agency are testing gases for a project which would reduce smells.

However, in the short-term the £5m project means more gases could escape from the site, leading to an increase in nasty odours.

Castle Point MP Bob Spink said he is glad the company has warned residents but is worried about people with breathing problems.

Andrew Olie, Cleanaway's disposal operations manager, said: "We appreciate initially this may cause inconvenience, but we are doing everything possible to minimise the impact and duration of the works."

The project, which aims to use the gases to generate power, will include drilling 700 wells to collect gas.

Joe Cooke, Castle Point Council's environmental health chairman, said: "I would urge residents to tolerate the short-term problems because of the long-term benefits."

Published Wednesday, February 20, 2002