Villagers made 'physically and mentally' unwell by sewage spills

The ongoing issue of sewage flowing out of manhole covers in a Cornish village has started to turn residents into "shells of people", a meeting was told.

Stithians resident Andy Snapes told the Healthy Rivers and Seas Summit at County Hall, Truro, that some villagers had been left "dark-eyed" and with "gaunt" faces because of the sewage flowing through their houses.

Snapes said in recent months Stithians has been flooded with raw sewage, including excrement, toilet paper, sanitary products and hypodermic syringes.

Carolyn Cadman, a senior officer for South West Water, apologised to residents and said improvements which had been scheduled for later in the year had been brought forward.

Snapes represented Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and spoke to the panel, which included representatives from South West Water, the Environment Agency, Surfers Against Sewage and Cornwall Council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

He said: "We had sewage of the worst kind – excrement, toilet paper, sanitary products, hypodermic syringes – in the streets where children walk to our local junior school.

"It is absolutely horrendous and it's not a recent situation, it's something that has been ongoing for the past dozen years at least," he added.

He said some local people had started to become physically and mentally unwell.

Mark Rice, area director for Devon and Cornwall at the Environment Agency said the water network was vulnerable to climate change and warned: "There are more communities who are likely to face this kind of issue without that proactive approach to maintenance that we expect from the company."

A South West Water spokesperson said works planned for Hendra Road included replacing around 410ft (125m) of sewer with larger pipes and improving manhole sealing.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: "The council believes the actions they [South West Water] have outlined are appropriate and proportionate given the circumstances and will hopefully resolve this matter at the earliest possible time."

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