ANGRY residents living near Fawley oil refinery have demanded an end to the sooty fall-out that frequently rains down over their homes.

Their plea comes just two months after environmental staff at the refinery told the Daily Echo that emissions from chimneys were lower than they had ever been.

But nearby residents claim they have seen no improvement.

Colin and Hazel Derham, of Renda Road, Holbury, say they woke to find their car, garden furniture, plants and window sills covered in a sooty black dust. They have previously found

sulphur and oily deposits on their car.

Mrs Derham, who has lived in Holbury for more than 20 years, said: "You get used to the noise from the refinery but not this fall-out. How bad it is depends on the direction of the wind. It just gets absolutely everywhere.

"It seems that the only way to escape it would be to move house and even then you'd have to go quite a long way. They should have better controls over what comes out of those chimneys."

Fawley parish councillor Philip Pearce-Smith has long accused Esso of being a bad neighbour.

"This fall-out shouldn't be happening," he said. "Esso should be taken to task over this. They should send someone round with car wash vouchers."

A refinery spokesman said: "The likelihood is that, although it is still being investigated, there was some soot fall-out in the area. We don't know the source.

"We do want to apologise to anyone who has been affected by this. On this occasion the advice would be to wash the soot off. It just washes off with water."

Asked about calls for compensation in the form of car wash vouchers, he added: "If anyone contacted us we would discuss the clean-up with them."