A HOUSING developer has apologised for leaving residents and children to walk through human faeces - for more than two weeks.

The Advertiser reported yesterday that a river of human waste was pouring from a manhole cover on a housing estate in Cofton Fields in Cofton Hackett.

A burst sewer pipe has been leaking waste across the entrance to the estate in front of people's homes since January 21.

Residents have had to put up with the smell and the health risk, despite repeated attempts to resolve the issue.

Not only that, children have to walk through it on their way to school, and cars drive through it splashing it onto the brand new village hall.

Cllr Mike Pattison, who lives on the estate said he made numerous attempts to resolve the issue.

"Severn Trent, who attended the site on Groveley Lane, reported that there was a burst sewerage pipe, but that they could not repair the damage because the sewer was unadopted and therefore the responsibility of the developer," he said

"St Modwen claim that the sewer is not their responsibility and that Persimmon should undertake the repair.

"On the advice of St Modwen, who passed the buck, concerned residents contacted Persimmon, who so far have refused to return phone calls or email contact."

However, after the story appeared in this paper it appears to have been resolved.

Engineers from Severn Trent have have been out to investigate and said that despite the problem being private pipes they helped unblock it as a "gesture of good will".

A spokesman from St. Modwen said: "We have identified the cause of the issue and our contractor has now cleared out the blockage in the foul sewer.

"Our contractor will closely monitor the situation over the coming days and we will be installing CCTV on Friday (February 7) to further monitor the drainage to help prevent any reoccurring issues. We would like to apologise to our neighbours in Cofton Hackett and thank the community for their patience while a suitable resolution was found.”

St. Modwen Homes has also sent a road sweeper to clear any residual debris.

The Advertiser approached Persimmon for comment.