A COUNCIL is being urged to act over smells from a sewage works.

Areas of Redcar have been assailed by an offensive smell, on and off since April, forcing residents to leave their homes.

Liberal and Democrat councillors for the town are demanding Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council acts over problems at Northumbrian Water Authority's treatment works, at Marske.

Spokeswoman Beverley Rogers said: "The Liberal Democrat Group condemns Northumbrian Water's handling of the problems at Marske Sewage treatment works and also on Marske beach. Residents have been very patient but the problems just go on and on. It is not right that people have had to leave their home because of the smell and noise."

Northumbrian Water yesterday refuted suggestions by the group that the smells were the result of design problems and likely to reccur in hot weather.

A spokesman for Northumbrian Water said: "The problems we have had have been commissioning faults rather than the operation and design of the works. Unfortunately, there have been two separate faults. Remedial work has created a smell."