THERE was a distinctly horrible smell for the locals of Launceston last Thursday.

A sewage leak caused problems for walkers along Westgate Street opposite the Launceston Branch of the Royal British Legion from mid-morning until the afternoon, before operators from South West Water cleared the blockage and resolved the problem, which was as a result of unflushable material.UPDATE: South West Water issued advice to residents following the sewage leak in Westgate Street, Launceston, recently.The leak, close to the bus park, caused problems for walkers for a few hours until the problem — caused by unflushable material — was resolved.A spokesman said: “Our operators found a cleared a blockage caused by a build-up of unflushable material (such as baby wipes, hygiene wipes, moist toilet tissue, cleaning wipes, cleansing pads and sanitary products). These products take much longer to break down than traditional toilet paper and can build up in pipes, causing blockages.“We encourage our customers only to flush the 3Ps — pee, paper and poo — and dispose of any other items, such as wipes, cleansing pads and sanitary products, in the bin.”