Thames Water shipping sewage through Milcombe

The liquid carrying bowsers, marked Thames Water or ABS, make frequent journeys through the village only to return 30 minutes later.

The lorries are filled with partially treated sewage collected in Hook Norton and transported back to Banbury for further treatment.

Thames Water said in a statement: “We’re sorry for any disruption the tankers are causing.

“They’re a temporary measure and are removing partially treated sewage from Hook Norton sewage works and transporting it to another works in Banbury, where it goes through the remainder of the treatment process.

“We’re currently unable to treat the sewage to the necessary standard at Hook Norton as part of the bacterial process at the site isn’t working correctly due to low temperatures.

“To allow only partially treated water, containing high levels of ammonia, to enter a watercourse would be damaging for the environment, including any wildlife that lives in the stream near the site.”

Milcombe residents had feared the Hook Norton sewage works were unable to cope with the additional waste from additional homes in the area, but this is not the case.

“There is no problem with the Hook Norton site coping with the volumes of sewage it receives.” said Thames Water.