At the northern area forum at Whitby Coliseum on Monday, angry residents, including many from Mulgrave Road, bombarded spokesman Andy Taylor, head of collection and treatment for the north area, with questions regarding the ongoing sewage spill in their area.

Mr Taylor was accused of courting sympathy by residents who claimed they had been fobbed off with the situation being compared to that of a third world country.

Deb Mahaffy said: “This must have cost millions and you couldn’t get it right, why didn’t you do the job properly in the first place?”

Mr Taylor replied he felt like he was in a no-win situation and stressed his aim was to tell the truth.

David Mahaffy wanted to know how much profit Yorkshire Water made last year which Mr Taylor was unable to answer, until a member of the audience offered a figure of £364 million.

Nik Harty asked why the system had collapsed and why there was no back-up system. Mr Taylor replied it was due to “catastrophic failure”.

Peter McGrath queried the pathogen levels on the beach.

“Men fish here, children play here yet these pathogens can cause conditions including gastroenteritis, dysentery and ear infections.

“It’s not good enough is it?” said Mr McGrath. Ken Graham said he constantly observed the pipe leaking and wanted to know how to protect his fishing crew.

“Children were still fishing there at the time of the spill, you should not be filling up our town with sewage. ”

When asked what caused the disintegration of the pump, Mr Taylor explained the bolts had failed and they still do not know why.

Coun John Dickinson asked why the old dual system could not have remained to which Mr Taylor replied: “We would have dual pipes everywhere in an ideal world but it’s a mammoth task and we can’t go around ripping up all the underground pipes.”

Pete Budd asked whether the high consumption kit had been fitted because the town had objected to a low pressure one. Coun Niall Carson asked if an inquiry would take place and questioned the logic of siting it in a town entre rather than the outskirts.

Mr Taylor said all concerns would be passed on to the company.