RESIDENTS and workers in the Market Place and Station Road, Devizes, were met with a mysterious foul stench yesterday morning.

People said there have been unpleasant smells seemingly coming from the drains on occasions but said the smell yesterday was particularly disgusting.

Karen Kerley, co-owner of the Market Plaice fish and chip shop and restaurant, arrived at the shop at 8.15am.

She said: "I could smell it while I was driving into the Market Place. It was absolutely revolting and it made me feel ill. I thought the drains had blocked or something.

"I put the fryers on earlier than normal to try and mask the smell as we can't have air fresheners on.

"We have been in the Market Place for two years and we have smelt foul smells on and off during that time coming from Station Road. At one point Kennet's environmental health officers visited our premises and thought the smell was our fault but it wasn't."

Jan Card, secretary at Dreweatt Neate estate agents in the Market Place, said: "I have smelt a lavatorial smell as I have walked up and down Station Road on several occasions but this morning was particularly bad."

Andrew MacLachlin, landlord of The Bear Hotel in the Market Place, said: "I came into the hotel at 6.40am and as I came past Station Road car park the smell was high.

"When I walked into the hotel's ballroom it stank of this foul smell.

"It's not nice for our customers and staff so the sooner it is sorted out the better."

Kennet District Council contacted Wessex Water yesterday morning after receiving a complaint from a resident in the Market Place.

A spokesman for Wessex Water said yesterday: "As yet we don't know what the cause of the smell is. We have lifted manhole covers in the area and we have done some investigative work and we haven't found any blockages, breaks or cracks to the sewage system.

"There's obviously a smell there but it's not a usual sewage smell that we are aware of. We are carrying out more investigations ."