Littlehampton lake is kicking up a stink

Dozens of people visiting the park have had to put up with the unpleasant stink wafting from the lake for more than a month.

But now a group of walkers have for appealed something to be done to clear the lake of decomposing weeds, believed to be the culprit for the nose-wrinkling smell.

Margaret Powell, of Cove Road, Rustington, has walked her dog around the park every morning, for the past four years. The 75-year-old said: “This is the worst the park has smelt in all the years I’ve been here.

“The lake is full of scum and decomposing weeds.

“When I walk around it I have to keep my mouth closed.

“It’s suffocating. To me, it smells like raw sewage. It’s just sickening. Something has to be done.”

Arun District Council, which owns the park, has been alerted to the problem and has roped off parts of the lake since Thursday, after experts from the Environment Agency were called in to investigate the water – which is a mixture of seawater and freshwater.

The smell was due to a combination of unseasonably hot weather and algae in the lake. This week council contractors will attempt to allow seawater into the lake to flush away the algae, following advice from the Environment Agency. Councillor Paul Dendle, Arun’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “There has been an unpleasant smell coming from the lake which has been getting worse with the heat. We acted swiftly following reports from members of the public and inspections by our own parks staff to rope off the lake, put up signs and start tests. Unfortunately, at this time of year the appearance and health of lake can be influenced by the weather, including appropriate tides and rainfall which are normally required to balance conditions.

“I want to thank people for their patience and understanding and look forward to the lake being open again as quickly as possible.”

Work will be carried out to clear the lake of the algae, by council contractors, later this week.