Foul 'Rotten Eggs Smell' In South London Coming From France, Say Police

Foul Stench In South London Blamed On French Factory

A foul stench of rotten eggs detected in Hastings on Tuesday morning had drifted over from France, police have said.

The smell has been blamed on a gas leak at a chemicals factory in Rouen, northwest of Paris, and is not toxic.

Kent and Sussex residents reported smelling 'cabbage', 'fuel oil' and just simply 'gas' earlier on Tuesday. As the wind blew northerly, South London started to wrinkle its nostrils too.

The London Fire Bridge said it had been called to 25 gas incidents since 10.30am. "The rotten egg smell is coming from France" it tweeted.

Parisians also got a dose of the vile smell on Monday with Reuters reporting that the emergency services had been flooded with calls.

With blame for the malingering odour lying squarely with the French, medieval rivalries have reared up on social media, with some nicknaming the war of the whiffs, 'Battle of Hastings 2.'

Some social media users saw the funny side of the stench, tweeting 'it doesn't half oeuf.'

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