A 30-YEAR-old problem causing a stink in a Chorley street has finally been solved thanks to the combined efforts of local councillors and residents.

Houses, gardens and pathways in Chelmsford Place have been regularly flooded with raw sewage from an overflowing drain since the late 1970s.

The problem sewer lies in Letchworth Drive and, because of changes to original housing plans in the area, was never large enough to cope with the amount of sewage travelling through it.

Residents put up with the smell from the sludge for years and mopped up the mess themselves before contacting Chorley Borough Council, only to discover that the sewer was managed by United Utilities.

And council officials said they could not help with the clean-up because the sewage may have hypodermic needles in it.

United Utilities promised to have the problem fixed by 2004, but thanks to protests from residents Irene and George Griffiths, David and Linda Doherty and councillors Ralph and Joyce Snape, the work was moved forward. Residents are now looking forward to removing piles of sandbags from their gardens. Linda Doherty said: "We were frightened to go on holiday because we were scared the house would be flooded when we got back.

"Whenever we went out we would have to come home if it started raining because we were so worried.

"The sewage was disgusting and really smelled, it even got under the floorboards.

"We've had sandbags at our back door for years and I'm sick of having to climb over them to get into my garden. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can get rid of them in the next few weeks." Laying of the new nine-inch drain will be completed shortly, and Coun Snape said he was pleased that residents could stop living in fear.

"I'm very happy that at last we have got a solution to all the problems and it's good that residents have not had to wait until 2004 for their new drain.