Phoar! What a stink! - Mystery stench sniffed out by the Times Series (From Times Series)

Phoar! What a stink! - Mystery stench in High Barnet sniffed out by the Times Series

3:56pm Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News By Chris Hewett

A mystery foul smell wafting its way through High Barnet has been identified by intrepid reporters at the Times Series .

The dreadful stench prompted nose-pinching tweeters to vent their disgust online this afternoon.

Dozens of people took to Twitter to complain of the unpleasant smell drifting over the north of the borough.

Bernie tweeted: "What is this smell that has been in Barnet? #disgusting."

Jordi said on the social networking site: “Friern Barnet actually smells like death.”

Speculation as to the cause ranges from a broken sewer to farmyard animals on the loose but no-one online has pinpointed the reason for the woeful whiff.

A swift investigation carried out by the Times Series , however, traced the odious odour to Barnet’s countryside neighbours.

Fold Farm, in Galley Lane, just north of the borough, confirmed it is carrying out annual manure spreading in its fields, which are home to around 300 cows.

The spreading takes place at least once a year at the end of summer and can go on for several days.

A farm representative said: “It is the time of year for spreading the cow muck. It puts nutrients into the soil and lets the grass grow, which the cows can then eat to produce their milk.

“That is most probably what they can smell, sorry. It’s just a bit of good country air – it’s all good for them.”