Do you know what the hedge is? I've never heard of a smelly one before!

Are you anywhere near Raglan rd? I've been looking around the area in the vicinity of the Claremont Rest Home on A56. Sounds or rather smells like from the description of your problem a leak from a cracked sewer pipe. The effluent is now saturating the upper layers of earth giving it the you know what like odor. Dont know much about who to call for such a problem in the UK but someone had better call them soon to evaluate the situation. If the problem is coming from your property you have my condolences.

Could just be our old 'friend' privet. Any chance of a photo of your hedge, Joan?

Insects don't have poo! Well not so you'd notice so how can they say it smells?

I beg you PARDON! Insects certainly do have POO and it does SMELL. But in order to get a whiff one would have to walk into a university vivarium where insects(cockroaches, flies...etc) are raised by the thousands for research. I still think that the smell is coming from sewer pipe leakage.

it's important to establish precisely what the hedge is - if its any of the Viburnums, and Viburnum tinus is the usual culprit, it may be infested with viburnum beetle, which causes a nasty stink like the one you're describing. If it is that, unfortunately, it's too late to treat it this year - needs a thorough spraying next spring in April or early May (because the eggs overwinter and hatch out in spring) with any of these: Bayer Sprayday bugkiller, Westland Resolva Bug killer or Bayer Provado Ultimate Bugkiller.

Having said all that, it sounds as if the gardeners already know what it is, which is why they're talking about spraying next spring. The smell should recede a bit once winter arrives.

I shan't deign to answer your put down.

Oh, your perception was not my intention at all and I do apologize if I unintentionally worded it in such a way that you took offense. Sorry!!!:(

Just out of interest please can you put on reasaonably close photo of the hedge? then we can say for certain if it is viburnum. Does the hedge outside M&S smell the same? Had a look at the satellite pic (I think its the right one) and it doesn't look like viburnum but its hard to be sure.

That's ok Loostrife, I just can't imagine smelly insect poo! The things you learn on GOY.

Thank you.

If it's a Viburnum hedge, as to what Bamboo said and the leaves in spring will look like some one has shoot the leaves with a 12bore gun, lots of holes

They should look a bit holey now - but if the gardeners are keeping it neatly trimmed, it might not be so obvious.