FRESH efforts are being made to tackle a long-standing sewage problem in Brotton.

Residents - fed-up with a foul stench from a rail bridge wall - organised a protest petition calling for action.

And this week it seemed as if people power had triumphed as water workers made a start on repairs to the wall.

Residents have been backed by ward councillors Brian Hogg and Richard Rudland.

Northumbrian Water has also said it will investigate the source of the problem.

For years now, sewage has been seeping from the bridge wall near Gladstone Street.

"We have been trying for a long time to get this sorted out," said Coun Rudland.

Northumbrian Water had been to the site before but had experienced trouble tracing ownership.

"The residents are absolutely fed up," said Coun Rudland, who presented the 67-name petition to Redcar and Cleveland council officials.

The authority's environmental unit has already said it will work with NW to try to solve the problem.

So far, no-one has been able to track down where the sewage is coming from or who is responsible for the land by the bridge.

"It is still bad despite earlier efforts by Northumbrian Water to solve the problem," said Coun Rudland.

A Northumbrian Water spokesman said: "We will be investigating to try to find the origin of the sewage. But it is not coming from our pipes.

"It seems as if it is coming from a cesspit or an old blocked drainage system. We will try to find the source of the leak."

The spokesman said the company would be asking Railtrack and the council for help.