South West Water is reassuring residents of Budleigh Salterton that the large sewage tankers on the seafront are undertaking routine maintenance work.

The company says this is not related to the work that was taking place in Exmouth last week, where sewage had to be transported to the local treatment works by tanker because of a burst pipe. 

South West Water said: "We are carrying out a planned clean of the sewer which runs through East Budleigh and the seafront to ensure our network is operating as effectively as possible.

“This clean requires the use of two tankers which empty the sewer to allow our team to safely carry out their work. The tankers are then travelling to Countess Wear Treatment Works.

“This routine maintenance is expected to last for another two weeks and we thank local residents for their understanding.”