Norfolk man plagued by fly infestation near Hingham says he cannot open doors and windows

A man has spoken of his horror at a fly infestation in his area, saying it has made even eating his dinner “a nightmare”.Peter Melemendjian, who lives in Little Ellingham in Norfolk said he and his wife had been aware of the problem since moving there in 2018, but that it had been especially unpleasant with this summer's heatwave.

“We’ve got a small veranda which in the evenings we want to sit under, but you almost can’t, because sometimes there’s 20 or 30 flying around,” he said.

"You can’t really have any doors or windows open. It would be lovely to [open them], but if you do, the house is full [of flies]."

Mr Melemendjian said he was aware of several other residents in the village and neighbouring Great Ellingham experiencing similar issues."Eating, inside or out – if you’ve got them inside – can be a nightmare. There’s almost always flies buzzing around you.

"The fly tape that we put up two days ago looks like fly soup – it’s really bad.”

In 2020, an investigation by South Norfolk Council found that a nearby farm had been “a significant source” of a similar problem in Hingham. A council spokeswoman said the authority has “received an increased number of fly complaints in the Great Ellingham and Little Ellingham area”.

She added: “Despite officers making a number of visits we have been unable to identify a source but have issued advice.

"While we can engage and take action in respect of premises and commercial processes, we are not able to control flies or insects in the general environment."We believe that the current weather conditions will increase life cycles and the number of insects present. We fully appreciate the impact this is having on local residents and will continue to do all that we can in respect of this issue."

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