Foul smell could have cost town council hundreds

A "foul smell" around the Back Lane public toilets has been blamed on farmers.

It has emerged that Newtown Town Council nearly forked out money for a contractor to investigate a smell around the toilets recently.

However, it was then found the smell was throughout Newtown, according to the council's Services Committee, with the possibility of chicken manure being spread on local fields.

The report stated: "Following reports from the public about a foul smell from Back Lane toilets, a contractor was engaged to check for a blocked drain. However, it was soon recognised that this was a town-wide unpleasant smell, probably from a farmer spreading chicken manure in the vicinity. The contractor was quickly contacted and the job cancelled."