RESIDENTS are complaining that a sewerage works near their homes cannot cope with the number of people who live in their village.

An increase in houses in Middleton St George means the nearby sewerage works has become overloaded, according to parish councillors.

Northumbrian Water, which owns the sewerage works, is now been asked to improve the facility.

Parish councillor Doris Jones said: "There are a lot of developers coming into the village. Each of these developers has to make a payment to Northumbrian Water who have to put the sewers in and also deal with the waste.

"But all the waste is going to the same treatment works and at times it is overflowing into nearby fields."

A spokeswoman for Northumbrian Water said there were long-term plans to look at the sewerage work. She said: "The works meets the current performance standards set by the Environment Agency. There are going to be new standards which we will have to meet by March 2005.

"We are in the planning stages for that and will be reviewing development plans."