Ofwat and the ombudsman may be called in to resolve the 'slum' sewage problem which is prompting fears of an epidemic in Kingsteignton.

South West Water has been accused of taking far too long to tackle the problem at the River Close development where, for almost two years, residents have found untreated waste spilling out on to their gardens and bubbling up into sinks.

The nightmare started soon after the 32 new homes began to be occupied in 2009. Heavy rainfall was invariably followed by sewage leaks and initially SWW put the blame on 'hydraulic overload' but said it had no plans to upgrade the pipework.

Unhappy with the firm's stance, Kingsteignton Town Council started to apply pressure with clerk Carol Lakin, saying: 'This situation would be intolerable in some of the worst slums in the world such as Mumbai and Lagos.'

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