Overflowing sewers on Southend seafront are ruining business and are a disgrace to the town, traders claimed yesterday.

Caterers on Western Esplanade, near Pier Hill claim raw sewage has been leaking from a manhole cover at the bottom of the cliffs for the past year.

Despite repeated pleas to Southend Council, they claim nothing has been done. Now traders are demanding immediate action is taken to clear the foul mess, which is running only a few feet from outside diners' tables and chairs.

Southend Council said it was taking the matter seriously and had contractors dealing with the problem.

Paul Van Looy, who runs Van Looy's restaurant on Western Esplanade, said the nauseous smell was ruining his business.

He said: "It is not on - we have got the summer holidays coming and on some days it stretches right across the path.

"I have got customers who wanted to sit outside, but they can't because of the smell."

Mr Van Looy added Anglian Water had done all they could to solve the problem, but the Victorian sewers, which are believed to have collapsed under the cliffs, were not their responsibility.

Fellow trader Lesley Metcalf, who runs French's restaurant a few doors down from Van Looy's, said she was losing custom.

She said: "All the council keeps saying is 'we will get it sorted for you,' but they don't.

"Apart from being a health hazard and losing us custom, what sort of image does it give Southend?

"All this is running down the drains and going out to sea, and that's illegal."

Southend Council sent a drain expert to the site. A spokesman said: "The situation is this particular drain is part of the borough council estates property.

"A company has been sent down to try to clear the blockage and at the same time they trying to trace the source of the problem.

"The council is conscious this is on a busy area of the seafront and our contractors are therefore working hard to resolve the problem."

Disgusting - restaurateur Paul Van Looy wants this overflow sorted out by the council

Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.