This unimpressed-looking cat from a street in Luton was among the stunned victims affected by a nasty stench that broke out over the weekend.

People living around Cheviot Road were stunned when a blocked drain meant sewage overflowed into their gardens and along the street.

Although the blockage happened on Saturday, the mess wasn't cleared up until Tuesday evening, leaving householders gagging for fresh air.

Earlier this week a shocked reader told this newspaper: "The longe this is left, the more of a disaster this is going to be.

"I can't live in my house anymore, and I can't take the smell any longer.

"There's open sewage in the road."

And fellow Cheviot Road householder Jackie Joyce, 42, said she had made numerous calls to Thames Water and Luton Borough Council before the problem was sorted.

Jackie fumed: "They should have done it on Saturday, because then it would never have escalated like it did.

"I can't believe there's no emergency procedure that can help with these things."

A spokeswoman from Luton Borough Council said that officials are still trying to determine whether the affected pipe is publicly owned, or property of the water board.

But with the matter likely to take some time to resolve, officers from the council were sent out to clear up the mess before it got any worse.

The Town Hall spokeswoman stated: "We employed our contractors to clear the blockage on Monday and we will be carrying out further investigations to identify if there is a defect in the sewer which could cause further problems."

On Tuesday a council-led clean-up and disinfecting operation meant grateful householders could return to life as usual.