Fed-up East Worthing residents are meeting water bosses this week to complain about a putrid pong they say is blighting their lives.

They say the stench of sewerage forces them to stay inside and prevents them from using their gardens.

The problem centres on Southern Water's wastewater plant in Western Road, on the border of Lancing and East Worthing.

Frustrated homeowners and businesses say it has been giving off foul odours over the past 12 months.

Despite multi-million pound investment in the treatment complex, smells are still being carried by the wind into nearby homes, forcing people to shut their windows and stay indoors.

The East Worthing Action Group (Ewag) appealed for those most affected to contact them and join in a meeting on Friday with Southern Water's managing director, Stuart Derwent, and East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton.

Ewag's Colin Gregg said people were worried the smells were affecting house prices.

He said: "Southern Water built a big, new modernised plant five years ago. All was wonderful until last year, when Southern Water said there was a massive storm which damaged the filter beds.

"The smells started again and we've had problems ever since. It's not there all the time but when the smell is there, it's bad.

"We live in East Worthing and work in the industrial estate in Lancing. If the wind's blowing east or west we get it through the day."

A Southern Water spokeswoman said the company began a £42 million environmental improvement programme in 1993 to improve sewage treatment in the area.

She said: "This work during the 1990s included the installation of modern odour control equipment and the covering of tanks at Worthing Wastewater Treatment Works, which brought about a significant improvement to the control of odour in the area.

"As a result of Government guidelines introduced in 1998, Southern Water then invested a further £17 million to install biological treatment to the works, to bring cleaner seawater to the Worthing coastline.

"However, engineering difficulties during the final stages of the work have caused a temporary reduction in the effectiveness of the odour control at certain times.

"While Southern Water has worked hard to rectify this, the company has also endeavoured to keep residents and local representatives informed of the situation."