FURIOUS residents have been left pinching their noses after “20 tonnes of manure” were dumped just metres from their homes.

Frank Mcarthur, 71, initially noticed the “awful smell” last week before discovering two huge piles of manure in a field behind his Hullbridge home.

Mr Mcarthur, who lives in the Crouch Residential Park, claimed the field is “massive” and the manure should have been put on the other side - away from homes.

It is believed the manure was put in the field by Rochford Council ahead of a tree planting project.

Mr Mcarthur branded the smell horrendous, adding that thousands of flies are now surrounding the two big piles.

He said: “It is shocking.

“We don’t know how long it will be here for, but they have just tipped around 20 tonnes of compost manure outside our homes.

“The field is massive, it could have been put anywhere, but it has been put right next to the houses.

“The smell is horrendous, and there are thousands of flies too. Even with this heat, we can’t open our windows.

“To tip that amount 15 metres from someone’s door is so unhygienic to say the least.

“It is just crazy. We can’t believe it.”

Mr Mcarthur contacted one of his ward councillors responsible for the Hullbridge ward, Stuart Wilson, who has been down to visit the site.

Mr Wilson said he has since reported it to Rochford Council, which is now dealing with the issue.

He said: “I was contacted by Frank, and so I went down to visit the site. There is two large piles and in this heat, it smells. There were lots of flies.

“I have reported it and raised it with the council and am now waiting for what action will be taken. But it has been assigned and is in hand.

“I was very surprised to see how big the dump was. There were two large heaps, so I can understand all the residents and why they aren’t happy.

“It definitely didn’t smell nice and is worse with the hot weather.”