EXCREMENT flowed down a street yesterday after a collapsed sewer made a road crack open.

Flood water and sewage swept into one home and garden, and caused an electricity blackout in another.

The damage caused a foul smell throughout the day, which was still noticeable last night.

Residents and councillors said it had been an accident waiting to happen.

They say the infrastructure in Middleton St George, near Darlington, has not been improved despite the village's recent rapid population growth.

Councillor Doris Jones, who represents the village on Darlington Borough Council, said: "We have been complaining for years that the sewers are not coping in Middleton St George.

"Every time a development has gone ahead in the past few years, we have asked for a new system. We have been told there is one coming, but when? We just don't know.

"They put a holding tank in, but it's just temporary measure after temporary measure. They should stop building here until the sewers are sorted."

The trouble began yesterday morning when, according to residents, drains in Middleton Lane started to back flow. The centre of the road then cracked due to a collapsed sewer.

Sewage ran down the east side of Middleton Lane, towards the River Tees and the county boundary. The road was closed from Pine Tree Grove down to Felix House Surgery, causing buses to be re-routed.

Northumbrian Water and other companies were called to clean up the mess.

One Middleton Lane resident, who has lost electricity, said: "You could see the excrement flowing down the road. It doesn't sink - it stinks.

"The council let us know what was going on quite early, but the water board didn't arrive until about 1pm."

Northumbrian Water said last night about 15 metres of Middleton Lane would have to be dug up to explore the problem.

"We suspect we have a collapsed sewer that runs along Middleton Lane.

"We are going to have to dig out a large section of the road to try to understand why it collapsed.

"The high level of rain has contributed to this. The ground is very wet and we need to pump out and reduce the level of water - then we will be able to say what the cause is."