"Penrith Pong" has plagued locals for years - one man says he's finally on track to sort the stink

A leading campaigner says Penrith has never been closer to solving its notorious "pong" problem.

Local MP Markus Campbell Savours hosted a public meeting in Castletown, Penrith West, to hear from the community about the stink that's plagued the town for many years.

This came after Jeff Thomson, lead campaigner at Fresh AIR for Penrith, lobbied the MP to hold the meeting.

Thomson said: "I can confirm we are firmly 'on track' to finding a solution.

“I am confident Markus Campbell Savours MP is taking the problem more seriously than any previous elected representative, including past and current councillors. His involvement, commitment and desire, to see an end to the ‘pong’, is a huge bonus and relief for those of us who have been campaigning and suffering.”

Thomson says the "pong" is due to industrial odour pollution.

Despite the "Penrith Pong" sounding rather comic, Thomson said the situation is no joke.

Thomson said: "A lot depends on the weather, the wind direction.

"But at its worst, people shut the windows, they can't sit out in their gardens, they've got to bring the washing in.

"It's an obnoxious odour."

Now in the sixth year of his campaign, Thomson previously failed to secure a meeting with Rory Stewart, who was then the MP.

Thomson met with the subsequent MP, Neil Hudson, several times, but said "sadly, he was unable to deliver any solution."

Fresh AIR for Penrith campaigner Jeff Thomson, who lobbied the MP to hold the meeting, said he was at long last confident something will happen to solve the odour issue.

This is the sixth year of Thomson’s campaign and he said : “I failed to get a meeting with MP Rory Stewart. I did meet Dr Neil Hudson MP on a number of occasions but, sadly, he was unable to deliver any solution.

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