Kent villagers troubled by mysterious smell
Residents in several Kent villages are reporting a persistent, noxious burning smell that occurs at night and lingers into the day. Local council members and environmental health teams are actively investigating the source of the fumes, which have significantly impacted the quality of life for local families.
Why it matters
The situation highlights the challenges local authorities face in identifying and mitigating environmental nuisances that affect public health and comfort.
Image caption, Councillor George Holt says the environmental health team at Dartford Borough Council have been "throwing everything they can at this"
A collection of villages in Kent have been troubled by a mysterious noxious burning smell for nearly a month.
Residents of the Dartford villages, which include Horton Kirby, South Darenth and Sutton-at-Hone, have reported to the local council that the fumes occur at night but linger well into the next day.
George Holt, who represents the area on Dartford Borough Council (DBC), says people have told him: "It's awful having to keep your windows closed at night when it's 30 degrees. It smells like someone is burning Lego."
Holt says the council's environmental health team "have been throwing everything they can at this" and carrying out of hours investigations into the source of the smell.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in