An unexplained aroma plaguing the streets of Fleetwood has caused a stink between Wyre Council and United Utilities officials this week - and a high tech 'smell monitor' will help sniff out the sources of the problem.

The unidentified stench has been affecting the Broadwater, Flakefleet and Larkholme areas of the port prompting numerous complaints from concerned residents to both the council and the Warrington-based utilities provider for several months.

According to the council the two "most likely" culprits are believed to be either the United Utilities-owned Wastewater Treatment or the nearby Wyre Waste Recycling Centre - both of which are based on Jameson Road.

But United Utilities is adamant its facility is not the one to blame claiming the smell could have come from nearby industrial or agricultural sites in the area.

Now both sides have decided to launch their own investigations into the unfamiliar odour with Wyre setting up its own special hotline for complaints and United Utilities investing in a new £15,000 state-of-the-art 'smell monitor' to record any changes in fragrance at their site.

A spokesman for United Utilities said: "We do not believe it is our water treatment facility which is at fault here.

"There are very specific guidelines for dealing with treatment of wastewater and odour management is high up on the agenda.

"If there were any significant smells leaking out of the facility then it could spell a potentially hazardous situation for the area.

"But as we know that our working practices are of the highest standards and that we carry out regular stringent safety checks of equipment - we are positive that it cannot be us.

"By fitting this expensive new equipment we are simply proving that fact."

A council spokesman added: "There have been numerous calls about this smell over the years and there have been investigations in the past which proved inconclusive.

"The idea of the dedicated number is to accurately log all calls on the subject and see if a pattern emerges."

This is the second time in four weeks that Fleetwood has come under fire for unusual smells.

As reported in the Citizen (January 26), the port also attracted criticism from BAFTA-winning actress - Shirley Henderson - who claimed to have been left 'stinking' of fish after filming Fleetwood-based film thriller - Frozen - in the town last year.

Anyone concerned about smells in the affected areas is asked to contact Wyre Council on 01253 887557.