KENNET District Council has admitted investigations into the cause of the fly infestation at Collinbourne Valley were two weeks too late.

At the recent parish council meeting in Collingbourne Ducis officers from Kennet Council gave residents an update on the current situation.

Senior environmental health officer Robert Draper told residents that the source of the problem happened weeks before the flies arrived and by the time the council got the first complaint it had escalated and the source was lost.

He said: "It has dragged on for a long time and we are in many ways no closer to the cause than we were at the start." Kennet District Council received complaints from residents blaming farmers.

However, Kennet has interviewed farmers, taken samples and so far failed to find the cause.

Next year the council will start carrying out investigations in July.

"We will be saying that when spreading is taking place they need to spread it immediately. I have not got the powers to enforce that though.

"I want to be looking in the waters and the riverbanks. It could be there."

"Our investigation came primarily too late. Next year we will be a head of them," he added.