A resident living near Fawley Refinery has said that a nasty smell coming from the facility has caused her to become ill.

Lifelong Hythe resident, Tara Mooney, said she had never experienced anything like the ‘eggy and gassy’ smell billowing from the refinery in recent days.

Tara, who lives less than half a mile from the site, said the stench caused her to feel dizzy, nauseous, and physically sick.

She added that at least 10 other neighbours, family members and friends living in the area feel the same way.

Tara said: “The last three days has been awful – I have headaches and constantly feel sick.

“Even though it’s been warm in the day we have had all of our windows shut and still we can’t escape the smell.

“Its like an eggy, gassy smell and I never experienced anything like it.

“When my son came in from riding his bike and he mentioned it I knew something wasn’t right.”

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Fawley Refinery owner, ExxonMobil UK has explained the reason for the smell.

An ExxonMobil UK spokesperson said: “We are managing a temporary process interruption on one of our ancillary operating units, which may be resulting in an unpleasant smell for those residents living close to our site.

“Our team is actively working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. To allow us to further understand any potential disturbance to the community our teams are also present in Fawley Village, Holbury and Blackfield, providing us with real-time updates.

“We are committed to operating our facilities to meet environment, and health and safety standards.”

But Tara added that it has made her consider leaving the area.

She said: “I just don’t think that we should have to put up with such a vile smell.

“Residents should not be forced to live with the smell or leave - that’s not right.”