FOR almost a month, retired council worker Kenneth Way has had raw sewage running through his garden.

Following a collapsed sewer in Park Close, North Leigh, sewage has leaked underneath his house and spilled out of the patio into the garden.

The problem – which has affected three of the Cottsway Housing Association-owned bungalows – was reported to Thames Water on February 7.

Now, a tanker is sent to pump away the sewage at least three times a day.

Mr Way, a grandfather, said: “You get sewage and nothing but. It stinks to high heaven.

“I’ve gone through so many cans of air freshener, it’s really bad.”

One stretch of pipe was replaced, but the water company said a further problem had now been identified.

Mr Way, 62, who lives with his former wife Marjorie Way, 63, said: “It’s like a river when it’s at its worst.

“It comes out of the patio like a fountain and then runs through the whole garden.

“When it first started, the smell of sewage was inside the house because it would seep under the house and then out through the crack in the patio.”

He added: “We’ve got a dog and every time she goes out there she is drinking it.

“I haven’t been into the garden for a while – you can hear it squelch under your feet and you don’t know what you are treading in.

“It’s like living on a houseboat at the moment. It doesn’t matter which way you go out of the house, you have to walk through raw sewage.”

Last night, Thames Water spokesman Becky Johnson apologised for the problem.

She said: “Following a collapse of the sewer in Park Close we have now replaced that stretch of pipe. A CCTV survey has identified further problems along the sewer line and we are now working on a second, separate repair.

“We’re using tankers to manage the flow from the sewer to prevent further flooding.

“We are very sorry about this.

“We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

Mr Way, who has lived in Park Close for 30 years, said that the houses had suffered with blocked pipes for about 10 years.

He added: “It’s costing me a fortune ringing Thames Water up every day.”