ROTTING rubbish salvaged from the stricken cargo ship MSC Napoli is creating a stink among residents in Purbeck who live close to a landfill site.

Fed up residents from Carey, in Wareham, have complained that the stench of decomposing waste at nearby Tatchells Quarry has become unbearable at times in recent weeks.

Viridor Waste Management claims the foul odours are partly down to the dumping of container loads of "non-hazardous, biodegradable animal feed," from the Napoli, which was spoilt by seawater.

Paper, flour and plywood found in containers recovered from the vessel are also being transported to the site from Portland, in a process Viridor estimates will take until mid-summer to complete.

Resident Peter Butcher, 65, who lives in Mistover Road, which is around half-a-mile from the site, said: "The smell has been really noticeable in the past week or so, particularly in fine weather.

"It's worse when the lorries carrying the waste drive past on the Wareham bypass and along Bere Road. Sometimes the stench is just unbearable."

Viridor added that it suspects landfill gas has also aggravated the problem and revealed that it has taken steps to combat the smell.

It has agreed to only accept delivery of spoilt cargo from the Napoli in the morning so there is time to cover the waste in the afternoon, and working hours have been extended for a short period to help speed up its disposal.

The company has set up two new odour suppression systems, which will spray the site with a fine deodorising mist.

Viridor has also accelerated the lining of the site, which will allow it to cap the waste, reducing the risk of odours and is drilling more gas extraction wells.

A spokesman for the company said: "We sincerely apologise for any sporadic odours experienced recently by members of the local community that have arisen from the site.

"We have worked very hard to achieve a good record and have had very few odour complaints during the past three years and will work hard to maintain this standard."