Mogden : Residents chance to Answer Back

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 19th Aug 2002

On Tuesday evening local residents and MP Vincent Cable will have a face to face meeting with the management of Thames Water over the odour problems at the Mogden Site.

In addition to the odour problems, residents in Twickenham and Whitton have been concerned about a recent explosion in the number of mosquitoes and some of them blame Mogden - though Thames Water vigorously deny the charge.

Vincent Cable said: "I have had residents writing to me in protest. And my son reported mosquito attacks for which there is obvious explanation other than Mogden".

Vincent Cable will also ask the management why it has been preventing Hounslow Council (the statutory authority as the works are just across the border) from carrying out its own independent checks: "in general the local management has been helpful and responsive to residents' pressure and this meeting with local representatives is a useful step forward."

"But residents do get the feeling that when big decisions are involved, they are dealing with a rather remote multinational company, which regards theme as a minor nuisance".