Dog walker’s unsavoury discovery

A SHOCKED dog walker made an unsavoury discovery when he found stinking ‘effluent’ had blighted a scenic Sidmouth beauty spot.

Freddie Shaw, 18, was enjoying a stroll in The Byes yesterday morning when a strange colour in the River Sid, and the smell of sewage, alerted his senses.

He caught on camera a mystery ‘effluent’ surging from the ground.

Authorities were unclear on the source of the apparent sewage as the Herald went to press yesterday afternoon.

Freddie, who used the Herald’s iwitness24 to send us his photos, said: “I was walking my dog along the river near to Byes Close and just down from Fortescue Road.

“I noticed an unnatural looking orange colour in the river and went to take a closer look. As I got closer, I smelt sewage.

“The unnatural colour had a shiny surface to it, which may indicate chemicals of some sort.

“This seemed a risk to the environment and the wildlife inhabiting the area.

“I do not know the source of the leak. It looked like it was coming out from the ground.”

A spokesman for South West Water said its experts were not aware of the problem – but it would be investigated.

The district council and Environment Agency also had no knowledge of the incident.