A revolted care worker whose family garden has been left covered in floating human faeces, has slammed her water company.
Emma Pennington claims raw sewage has been pouring out of a manhole in the back garden of her Stoke on Trent home for the last three days.
The stench is so bad, the mum-of-one claims it is now seeping through the walls of her three-bedroom property.
The flooding also means the 43-year-old has been unable to let her four dogs out into her own garden.
Emma first contacted Severn Trent on Monday after being met with the horrifying sight of buoyant excrement.
But she says told the Stoke on Trent Live is still clueless about when someone is going to come to carry out the job.
Emma said: “I got up on Monday to let the dogs out and I had to stop them because all I could see was flooding down the garden.
"It lifted the manhole cover which is why there’s big lumps of faeces from the whole street. There’s still water trickling from the cover now.
“The smell is horrendous outside and inside. It is coming into the house now. It stinks. How would they like it?
“It’s not hygienic. How can they say that’s alright to leave somebody in? I seem to be fobbed off when I ring.
“It makes me feel dirty. I walk into the house from work and it smells.
“I left for work last night and I had a headache. I don’t know whether it’s connected. I don’t know what I’m breathing in.
"I feel sorry for my dogs because they can’t go out."
Despite calling the company 13 times, Emma says she still doesn’t know when the work is going to be carried out which is causing her stress.
She said: "I rang Severn Trent first thing and was told someone would be out by 10pm but nobody came.
“On Tuesday I rang again and nobody got back to me. I was on the phone on and off all day.
“I was eventually told somebody won’t be out until Wednesday and I said it’s not good enough. I suggested that a manager should ring but that didn't happen.
“I rang the complaints number and was told somebody would be be out before 6.30pm on Tuesday. Nobody turned up.
“I still don’t know what’s happening. Nobody has told me anything.”
Emma says her garden has been flooding since she bought the semi-detached property 19 years ago.
A blockage on a nearby street is believed to be responsible, causing the neighbourhood's faeces to bubble up.
She added: “Severn Trent's service is shocking. I can’t believe I pay my water rates, I don’t even get any kind of compensation.
“The water is still flowing out so there’s still a blockage somewhere. I’m waiting for them to come out, deal with the blockage and clean up. It’s disgusting.
“I hardly had sleep because I’m on and off the phone trying to find out if somebody is coming out. It’s caused a lot of stress."
Severn Trent has now issued an apology.
A spokeswoman said: "We know how distressing flooding can be, especially sewer flooding, and would like to apologise to the customer on Lambourn Place.
“We've got teams onsite today, providing support to the customer. It will be our absolute priority to fully investigate the sewer network to understand what’s caused the flooding, and if it’s anything to do with the Severn Trent network.
“Again, we are extremely sorry for the distress this has caused.”
