A "terrible" smell coming from an animal crematorium is forcing villagers to keep their windows sealed shut despite the sweltering weather.

East Suffolk Council confirmed it had received several complaints about the smell coming from Clarkes of Melton, with the recent hot weather making the problem worse.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "This terrible smell is there day and night.

"It's so bad that we are having to close our windows on really hot days so it doesn't overpower us inside the house."

Clarkes of Melton is a crematorium that disposes of dead animals from across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. It is located on Valley Farm Rd, just north of the centre of the village.

Locals from Melton, Woodbridge and surrounding areas have also complained about the smell on social media.

"We have been contacting the council for weeks, but it's still awful", the neighbour, who has lived in Melton for 20 years, said.

"I would have thought it could easily be avoided by moving facilities for burning the bodies of animals to somewhere away from residential areas.

"At the moment, it's in the middle of the village surrounded by hundreds of local residents breathing it in".

An East Suffolk Council spokesman said: “East Suffolk Council’s Environmental Protection team has, periodically, received reports of an odour in the area of this premises.

“Following recent reports, in July, officers visited the site to investigate the issue and establish its cause, before advising complainants that an improvement in the odour would be noticeable within 24 hours.

“No further reports were received until the evening of Thursday, August 4 – and this report is currently under investigation.

“Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, our Environmental Protection team will look into complaints about smells from industrial, trade and business premises, and has powers of enforcement to deal with smells that cause a statutory nuisance.”

Clarkes of Melton has not responded to requests for comment.