Seaford '˜noxious odour' could have come from farmland

Emergency services were called and residents told to stay in their homes when the smell, said to be like ‘burning plastic’, materialised in The Ridings area at around 6pm.

The fire service said teams could not ‘ascertain the source of the odour’, which left some with stinging eyes and feeling sick.

But now Lewes District Council says the odour may have originated from farmland.

A spokesperson for the council said: “The northerly wind direction on Friday suggested the odour may have emanated from farmland bordering the Seaford area.

“The odour was not apparent on Saturday and the investigation into the source has been scaled back.”

In August a major incident was declared when a toxic ‘haze’, which seemed to start from Birling Gap, caused discomfort to people in the surrounding areas.

However, the fire service says the two incidents are not related.