_ Welsh home of the Pot Noodle is being plagued by mystery 'eggy' stink with town residents forced to keep their doors and windows closed

A mystery stink is plaguing a small town in Wales where millions of Pot Noodles are made - and officials are investigating the cause of the powerful pong.

Neighbours in Crumlin, a town with a population of 5,000 in the Welsh valleys, say they have had to put up with the 'awful' smell on and off for 30 years.

Some say that the 'Crumlin stink' has become a running joke while others are forced to close their doors and windows and won't sit outside in summer.

The town has been home to the self-proclaimed 'King of Snacks' since 1979 and its manufacturing plant, offices, and distribution centre and employs around 150 people.

The smell is in no way thought to be linked to the Pot Noodles site, operated by food manufacturing giant Unilever - where more than 175million Pot Noodles are made every year.

Fed-up residents believe the 'eggy' stench comes from closed mines from its industrial heyday.

Robert Morgan, who works at Bullen Trading Co. Ltd in Crumlin, said: 'We notice it every single day, 'the Crumlin Stink'. It is a sort of running joke.. We just get on with it.'

Music venue owner Angela Drakeford, said: 'It has always been here, it's normal for Crumlin. I cannot smell it inside my music venue, but when I drive through Crumlin at two or three in the morning it smells awful.

'When I drop my staff off here, I say to them, I do not know how people live there in those houses - It's something else.'

Tom Weston, of Beehive Photography Studios, said: 'We do notice it. It is sulphur from the old pit. I do notice it but it doesn't come inside the business. I notice it if I go to the west side of the town.'

Another worker said: 'I have never known it any different. I've been here nearly 30 years. I think my nose is immune to it but we have had new girls at work and they say it is bad.

'Sometimes we like to sit out the back for our lunch and if it has rained it is awful. I feel it is much more potent if it is raining and if there has been a dry day the drains can stink.'

But Bill Davison, a volunteer at The Friends of Crumlin Navigation said the smell was nothing to fear.

He said: 'There is an egg-like smell that emanates from the vegetation. At the bottom of the main shafts you have stagnant water running out and vegetation with chemical processes that rise up into the atmosphere.

'It is a natural process and doesn't pose a risk to health.'

A Caerphilly Council spokesperson, said: 'We are aware of the concerns raised by the local community and have referred the matter to Natural Resources Wales to investigate.'

Councillor Carl Thomas said: 'As local ward members we are aware of the concerns raised by local people and we have asked the council's environmental health team to work with NRW to investigate.'

Kirsty Lewis, senior environment officer for Natural Resources Wales said: 'We are currently investigating a report of a sulphur odour and water discolouration in Crumlin.

'An environment officer met on site with the reporter to discuss their concerns and investigations are ongoing.

'We will continue to work in the area to identify the source and ensure all necessary steps are being taken to protect the local environment and its people.'

(Fluierul)