Mystery over foul stench across parts of the West Midlands solved
A mysterious foul smell which passed over parts of the Black Country and Birmingham may be due to muck spreading according to council bosses.
The repugnant odour led to numerous comments being posted across social media – describing it as smelling like a "sewer" or "something rotten".
A mystery was sparked over the cause of the stench which was smelled in parts of the West Midlands and as far away as Tamworth earlier this week.
But now it has seemingly been resolved with Birmingham City Council saying the "prevailing view" is farmers after discussion with official agencies.
A statement from the authority said: "We are aware of reports from across Birmingham and beyond of a pungent odour earlier this week.
"Officers have spoken to colleagues in neighbouring local authorities, the UKHSA and the Environment Agency.
"The prevailing view, given the time of year, is that it may well be due to land spreading as farmers have been harvesting their crops and are now busy clearing their manure / slurry stores and fertilising their fields for the winter crops. Similar instances near Walsall were reported to the Environment Agency a few weeks ago," the statement continued.
"Although Birmingham is city area there are still farms surrounding it and recent weather has been more overcast and humid, which might mean odours from sources in the area are either not dispersing as quickly or hanging around for longer."
