TOWN hall officials in Watchet want local people to tell them when they smell a pong in the town.

The plea for information comes after stories of mystery odours hit the headlines last week.

The County Gazette highlighted mystery whiffs in Severn Terrace, where residents said a stink was causing sore throats and nausea, while residents near the harbour claimed the stench of sewage was putting off holidaymakers to the town.

Now, claims of a "dank water" smell have been made by people living near Govier's Lane.

One said: "It gets worse when we've had heavy rain.

"It's really bad near the level crossing over the West Somerset Railway and often worse at the weekend.

"It smells as if people have been using the lane as a toilet."

Paul Chamberlain, chairman of the town council's tourism and leisure committee, told the County Gazette on Tuesday: "The last thing we want is headlines saying Watchet stinks right at the start of the season.

"But a lot of the time people are not telling us about problems, which makes it difficult for us to get something done about them."

He added: "There's no getting away from it, there are bizarre smells from time to time in Watchet.

"We urge people to tell us when they smell a bad odour so we can put pressure on to get something done."

And he stressed: "We need times and dates when people notice the smells to be most effective."

Ring Watchet Town Council on 01984 633344 Wessex Water said last week refurbishment of a sewer ventilation system at The Esplanade was in hand.