Raw sewage covered a Malvern road when heavy raid caused sewers to overflow.

The incident on Leigh Sinton Road on Sunday is part of an ongoing problem in the area.

Residents fear the situation could be made worse when North Site is developed for housing.

David Hill, of Leigh Sinton Road, said he had been asking Severn Trent to address the problem since 2002.

He has since learned that the developers of North Site want to connect the new sewerage and surface water drainage to the existing network.

Mr Hill said the additional strain on the sewers would be 'the straw that breaks the camel's back'.

"It will be horrific," he said."The problem wasn't that bad when it started, it used to overflow about once a year. But it's got worse and this last incident was the worst of all."

About 39 homes are affected and Mr Hill is leading an action group. As well as writing to Severn Trent, he has approached West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer for his support.

Severn Trent spokesman Jo Smith said Sunday's problem was caused by an excessive amount of rain falling in a short time and not by the amount of household sewage in the system.

She said Severn Trent had only received one report of a problem and so did not consider the area a priority for repair work.

With regard to North Site, she said if the developer wanted to discharge waste into the existing network, Severn Trent had no powers to refuse.

The developer would only need to consult the company if they wanted it to adopt the new pipework, in which case Severn Trent could turn them down.