Residents kicked up a stink over a foul smell which spread across Braintree.

From around 2pm on Monday afternoon the stench started to waft across the town.

Several readers called in to The Times to report the strong odour, from both sides of Braintree.

The smell was likened to manure or slurry but was much stronger than people were used to, with it being noticeable from the high street.

Tina Wilson, of Tortoiseshell Way, Braintree, said: “It started to smell of manure just after it rained it smells disgusting had to shut the windows and doors was worried it was my drain blocked.”

Residents took to speculating over what had caused the smell with Elliot Morgan suggesting the odour was so bad it was like a sewer pipe had exploded nearby.

He said: “Maybe a sewer pipe has leaked or exploded somewhere in the town.

“Or a near by sewage works might be playing up.”

Some residents even lightheartedly blamed their loved ones for the stench.

Kim Finch said: “I kept blaming my poor old dog Diesel at first. It smells like manure.

“I’m melting as I’ve had to shut my windows.”

The warm weather and light showers are believed to have exacerbated matters, with the smell seeming to get worse after a period of rain.

The smell subsided somewhat by Tuesday morning.

A spokesman for Braintree Council said: “We have received a number of reports about mal-odors in the northern parts of Braintree yesterday and this morning.

“Our Environmental Health Team believe the source maybe due to agricultural processes taking place in the Panfield area.

“However, officers are still to confirm this and are therefore continuing to monitor the situation.”