A councillor is calling for an investigation into why raw sewage keeps spewing out of a manhole cover on to farmland.

Councillor Martin Leathley (Lab, Keighley North), chairman of Bradford Council's public health and protection committee, is due to hold a meeting with Council officers this week about the spillage at Cliff Farm, East Morton.

Since the Telegraph & Argus highlighted the problem a fortnight ago, there has been another small overflow at the site next to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

The Long family, who farm the land, believe the latest spillage was caused by a slight downpour on Sunday.

"If it has overflowed when there hasn't been a particularly strong downpour, imagine what might happen when we get some really heavy rain," said Coun Leathley.

"I will be talking to planners and I will raise this issue with them as a matter of urgency. This is a cause for very real concern.

"This is not a trumped up complaint to attempt to prevent development - it is a very real problem.''

Veula Long, who runs the smallholding with her family, and who has complained to Yorkshire Water, said: "We were not aware it had overflowed again until we went down there with Mr Leathley. We don't think the solution is for the Yorkshire Water to screw the lid down because it might then back up and come out into the houses.''

Mrs Long has also received a letter of support from Keighley MP Ann Cryer who is concerned about the problems in the Aire Valley where sewage from the mains pipe spills out into gardens.

A spokesman for Yorkshire Water said Mrs Long hadn't told them about the latest overflow. "We can't comment until we have been out and seen the problem again. We will be doing that," he said.

Fears had been expressed that the sewer could overflow more often when 80 new homes are built in the village.

But Yorkshire Water has said the problem is related to the way the sewer pipe is put together, not the amount of development.

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