The stench of sewage has filled the nostrils and forced people and pubs to keep windows shut for more than a month, with still no end in sight.

Thames Water has been inundated with calls from the people of East Molesey complaining about the smell but, despite this, it lingers on.

Neighbours are concerned the smell is now coming into houses and there are worries it could cause health problems.

Clare Millard, of Bridge Road, who has been suffering from headaches this week, said: "We have to keep all of our windows shut because the smell is so bad - it can't be healthy, it's really not healthy.

"We have just done so much and nothing seems to have been done."

The smell is constantly present but varies in potency at different times of the day, with the worst coming in the evenings, complainants said.

Miss Millard said: "At first they kept telling us there was nothing wrong, then they told the landlady that maybe there was."

After complaints to Thames Water Miss Millard said that three vans arrived, workers opened up a manhole, were there for 10 minutes and then left.

When speaking to Thames Water later, a spokesman told Miss Millard that they had "flushed something" and to call if the problem was still there, which she did about two days later, but saw no one come to re-inspect it.

A spokesman from Thames Water said: "We’re sorry to customers experiencing odour problems and we’re currently arranging for the sewer pipe to be cleaned."

The landlady of the Albion pub, in Bridge Road, Marion Mottershead, said the smell had a serious effect on her business.

Describing the stench as "around the whole time" and "like stewed sprouts with a hint of compost", she said: "You can't even buy a joss stick on our street as we've got them all."

Many of those who complained to Thames Water asked if workers were sent out to deal with the problem could go to the Albion, because there is always someone there, but those who work at the pub have only reported one visit.

This area is often prone to a smell at this time of the year, but neighbours and businesses said it had never gone on for this long without a resolution, and this particular bout could be smelled five miles away.

People are increasingly anxious about the situation and took to Twitter to get a solution from Thames Water.