ENVIRONMENTAL health officers have visited the Freemans chicken plant in Newent following a string of complaints about powerful smells.

Particularly bad smells last week resulted in 37 complaints from residents on the nearby Appledown estate, prompting the visit by Forest of Dean District Council officers on Monday.

The problem is being blamed on new European legislation which means that Freemans has not been able to send blood waste to the renderers as frequently as the company would wish.

One place affected has been the nearby Sheppard House Day Centre, from which complaint reports have been compiled and sent to the council over the last six months.

Manager Lynne Mayo said: "The last few months have been pretty horrendous. Some days you can't open the windows.