ENVIRONMENTAL health bosses have launched an investigation into a broken sewage system which has been pumping excrement on to a housing estate where children play.

Residents at Bank Head in Haverigg claim it has been a regular problem since 2006 but has become a “serious health hazard” as the oozing sewage shared with inmates at HMP Haverigg has flooded the streets.

Copeland Borough Council environmental health officers are due to visit the site on Wednesday, July 15 to investigate the problem.

Dot Neate, of Bank Head, and her husband John are among those who have been campaigning for the pump to be fixed. She said: “It’s still flooded. We don’t know exactly where it’s coming from but we see where it’s going to.

“It’s coming out outside our houses and also pumping into the River Lazy where there is wildlife. There’s birds drinking the sewage.”

Bank Head housing estate residents are jointly responsible but claim only prison staff have the key to access the pump to fix it.

Mrs Neate said prison staff allowed engineers access to fix the pump but it stopped working after about three hours.

She said the effects of having the waste oozing into the housing estate has been “devastating” as children and wildlife are being exposed to the potentially harmful black sewage.

The grandmother-of-25 said: “It’s taken a long time. Environmental health are trying but we don’t think they are trying hard enough.

“This has been going on since 2006. It’s about time something was done. It’s a serious health hazard especially now with the hot weather and everything.

“We feel absolutely devastated really. We are trying to do our best and it’s led us nowhere.”

United Utilities is due to take over the system by October next year.

A spokesman for Copeland Borough Council said: “An onsite visit by our environmental health officer to the pumping station for further investigation work is planned.

“This is to assist in identifying a solution to the sewage system issues being experienced in Haverigg.”