Mystery surrounds the origin of an appalling stench drifting over Canvey causing dozens of people on the island to feel sick.

Castle Point Council has been flooded with calls from irate residents who are becoming increasingly unhappy at the increase in rotten odours that continue to spoil living conditions on Canvey.

Bosses at Cleanaway's Pitsea landfill rubbish tip and at BP's oil refinery to the east of Canvey have both denied that the stink was caused by them.

Director of Health and Housing at Castle Point Council Alan Longford said the problem was out of the borough's control. He said: "We are aware of the problem because we have received a fair number of complaints but the smell is not of our making.

"We are led to believe the odour is coming from the waterlogged Pitsea tip which is then drifting on to Canvey."

Most of the fingers of blame have been pointed at the landfill rubbish tip in Pitsea for the problems which started last Friday.

A spokeswoman for Cleanaways which operates the landfill site at Pitsea denied the stench was coming from there.

She said: "The Pitsea site is operating normally and nothing has changed."

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