Curving Avenue residents have complained to Government about foul smells they say are drifting into their windows from the Marsh Folly dump ? making it an area to be avoided.

The Pembroke parish residents contacted to express their frustration with the stink that is causing headaches and nausea in the entire area, including parts of Parsons Road and North Shore.

On Friday, Government said the compost heap at the Marsh Folly dump may be expanded into a commercial operation by the end of the year to refine and sell compost.

Despite the need to create the nutrient rich material for gardens and parklands, residents say the piles are left unattended and are smoking in the heat of the afternoon.

One unnamed resident of Curving Avenue said her house was not air-conditioned and the windows must stay closed to prevent the smell from drifting in.

"On some days it's worse than others but it's becoming really unhealthy. There are children playing in the area who have to breath in the fumes," she said. "We understand the idea behind compost but this is starting to become unbearable."

Another resident, who lives close to the Cake Shop, said the smell makes the area particularly unpleasant for residents. "We're paying rent to deal with this smell?" he said.

Marsh Folly Site Manager Chris Williamson said the compost piles contain thousands of tons of organic material and are part of Government's efforts to refine organic material and make it a marketable product.

Mr. Williamson said the piles are turned over daily, but covered in mulch to cover up the smell. "We receive calls about the smell from time to time but once it is explained most people are very understanding," he said.

Mr. Williamson said on damp mornings the natural heat of the compost and moisture in the environment causes it to smoke. "If we have heavy showers or wind, the smell intensifies," he said. "There are no health risks associated with the smell. It's probably less harmful than the fumes breathed in during rush hour traffic."

He added that the compost site had been expanding since the early 1990s and there was nowhere else to move the material. Compost has been used around the Island to regrow gardens ravaged by Hurricane Fabian and to fertilise public parkland.

"We maintain the site and try our best to control the smell," he added. "It's part of our plan to provide nutrient rich products to replenish gardens."