A smell like rotten eggs from a landfill tip has been causing misery for hundreds of families near Kidderminster.

Now the tip is to be permanently capped with thick layers of clay by the site operator after complaints about the odour from the site.

Parish councillors called for action because of the complaints from residents for miles around the Waresley Landfill site at Hartlebury.

A special odour hotline has been set up for residents to help tip operators monitor the smell.

Environment Agency officials said today that the site operator, Biffa Waste Services, was carrying out both short and long-term engineering works designed to solve the problem.

While the work is being carried out they have asked local people to keep monitoring the situation.

The tip site has been in operation since the early 1990s to backfill a hole created by clay extraction.

Both general household and commercial waste from the surrounding areas have been tipped but in September last year people began to complain about odours coming from the site.

Biffa completed the first phase of these works before Christmas installing 41 extra gas wells into the site. People have been asked to report odours on 0800 807060.