A FLY infestation is causing havoc among villagers as a council threatens legal action against Thames Water.

Slough Borough Council has issued an abatement notice to Thames Water after swarms of black-winged fungus gnats emerged in the Colnbrook, Richings Park and Iver areas.

The root of the problem is believed to be from the Thames Water treatment plant in Lakeside Road, Colnbrook, with 'cakes' produced from waste water attracting the insects.

The 'cakes' are blocks of dried sludge which are produced as part of the sewage treatment process, and are recycled to farmers for use as fertiliser. The gnats are attracted to these 'cakes' and, coupled with recent warm weather, there has been an increase in numbers.

The issue arose at a similar time last year, in which the gnats were recognised as a nuisance.

Slough Borough Council and South Bucks District Council have been working together on the issue, and South Bucks environmental officers are continuing to monitor the situation.

A Slough Borough Council spokesman said there has been a lot of complaints from residents, but the gnats do not pose a health risk.

He added: “Our neighbourhood enforcement team issued Thames Water with an abatement notice on Friday, May 6. This gives them 28 days to take further action to control the flies. If at the end of that time the flies are still causing a nuisance, we will consider taking further legal action.”

An abatement notice, issued under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, can be served by the local authority if they are satisfied that a statutory nuisance exists, has occurred or is likely to recur. The notice may require that the nuisance be stopped altogether or limited to certain times of day.

Residents have reported that flies were "all over the walls" of their homes and were struggling to fight off the insects. Some have resorted to installing nets and screens to prevent the insects from entering their homes.

One resident, posting on a community website, said: "We have net screens but the flies still manage to get in. We have fly sprays in all of our rooms. Even when we are not eating a meal, the flies are still flying around our faces."

A Thames Water spokesman said: “We’re continuing to do everything we can to tackle this issue, as we have been in the past, including sending large volumes of treated sewage sludge to farmers, who use it as fertiliser. We’re also in regular contact with the council.”