Overflowing sewage has left worried residents in Booker fearing for their health after an “influx” of flies left them needing medical treatment.

A sewage pump in Clay Hill, which deals with waste from the entire housing estate, has been broken for around six weeks according to residents, resulting in overflowing sewage, flies and a “diabolical” smell. 

Louise Smith and Mark Weatherspoon, who live next door to the pumping station, have had to build a tall fence around their garden to try and block out the smell.

Mother-of-three Louise said: “The smell is disgusting and nothing has been done about it. My daughter’s face had swollen up like a balloon after she was bitten by the flies hanging around. It’s just really bad and we have to live with this. It happens every summer.”

The pumping station is owned by Home Group and according to residents, the sewage pump was be switched off more than a month ago after the fuse box “melted”.

Neighbour Sian Plumridge, who has seven children including premature new-born twins, said Home Group seems to have “forgotten” about them since the pump was switched off.

She said: “The sewage builds up and overflows and creates an absolutely diabolical smell. Tankers come twice a day to take away the sewage but it’s not solving the problem. If one of the tankers doesn’t turn up, it will overflow again.

“If they lived here they would see how disgusting it really is. The kids can’t play outside because the smell is so strong.

“The whole system needs replacing for it to be up-to-date, it is so old and not maintained properly. I've lived here ten years and every year, without fail, we have this problem.”

Ms Plumridge is worried that flies and rats could cause her new-born twins to become ill.

She said: “It’s not healthy for them. It’s not healthy for us, let alone the kids. They have been in special care for three weeks, they're very tiny and very vulnerable and they have no immune system. Something like this could kill them.”

The broken pump also means the children have been unable to enjoy their summer holidays in the garden.

Ms Plumridge added: “We like sitting outside, we all get on really well but we can’t sit out here and the kids can’t play out here, we have to sit inside with the windows and doors shut. I don’t want to smell that disgusting smell, so my babies definitely don’t. In the hot sun we have to have the windows shut.”

Suket Patel, Home Group maintenance contracts manager, said: “There’s never a good time for a sewage pump to break down but we understand the extra frustration and inconvenience this can cause during summer.

“We appointed contractors to fix the sewage pump and they’ve been waiting for a part to be delivered to complete the repair. We’re hopeful the work will be completed today (Thursday, September 1).”

Paula Gething, customer services manager at Xylem, the contractor for Home Group, said the sewer problems were as a result of "unsuitable items being flushed down resident’s toilets". 

She added: “In the interim period between the initial site assessment and the commencement of work, Xylem tankering teams regularly visited Clay Hill at the request of Home Group to deal with the overflow.

“Following this incident, Home Group has requested that a telemetry device be installed at the pumping station which will alert the team should any future problems arise.”