Shoppers in Long Stratton had to wade their way through raw sewage after heavy rain overnight.

Shoppers in Long Stratton had to wade their way through raw sewage after heavy rain overnight.

It meant sewage was flowing out of manhole covers in The Street and along the road and pavements. At Zig-Zag hairdressers, Sharna Banham was faced with having to buy new carpets after her carpets ended up wet and dirty from customers' feet.

She said: “It is absolutely disgusting. We have had to put cardboard boxes outside the shop for people to walk on. The carpets are going to have to go because they will stink.”

District councillor Alison Thomas said: “It is completely unacceptable. You have got toilet paper and solid bits all over the pavement. People are walking the sewage into the Co-op.”

Kate Blackburn, environmental protection officer at South Norfolk Council, said: “Businesses are telling me this is the third time this has happened in three weeks. Over the last few years it has been an ongoing problem. In my opinion this is down to the poor condition of the sewers. Anglian Water will tell you it is because of the heavy rain but when it happened last week it had not been raining.”

Anglian Water spokesman Colette Nichols said: “A foul water sewage did become blocked as a result of the heavy rainfall and inappropriate items being put into sewers. We do have a problem with fat and oils, as well as things like wipes which can block sewers.

“If there is a more serious problem we will investigate and we will leave no stone unturned. It is certainly not true that the sewage system is in poor condition. The pipes are jetted regularly.”

Residents fear that a planned development of 60 homes on Lime Tree Avenue will add to the pressure on the sewage system and events like yesterday's will become more frequent.