Thames Water has apologised after sewage overflowed on to a public common which is a site of special scientific interest.

Gaye Olesen owns a field a quarter of a mile from Stonesfield public common, where sewage spewed out of manholes and on to her land during wet weather.

She said: "It’s been going on for the last two or three years but Thames Water will only deal with it if you actually record it but this has happened twice before.

"They replaced one of the manhole covers last year and they’ve gone back after the last incident and replaced both of them."

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She said water runs in to Stonesfield from Fawler and into a brook.

"When there’s a lot of rain it could easily pick up sewage from that brook and take it into Stockey Woods.

Sewage overflowed polluting an SSSI, grazing land and recreational land (Image: Gaye Olesen) "There was a youth event happening in the woods in September and they said they had to cancel because of the smell."

Her land like Stonesfield Common itself has been designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) by Natural England.

It means landowners must conserve the special features of the site by measures such as grazing animals at particular times of the year, managing woodland and controlling water levels.

She added: "What they don’t seem to understand is triple SSSI land means I’m under obligation to treat it in the correct way.

"I have to graze it in a certain way, cut it in a certain way and not use certain chemicals.

I’m doing my very best to look after it and  Thames Water are getting away with it."

Clean rivers campaigner Vaughan Lewis, from Evenlode Catchment Partnership, said: "This is another all too common example of the inadequate state of Thames Water's infrastructure.

"The company was warned by local residents and campaigners that their network was not adequate to cope with recent development in Stonesfield, particularly at times of high groundwater.

"The sewers are regularly overwhelmed pouring polluting and dangerous sewage onto Stonesfield Common, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an area of high recreational and conservation value.

"Thames Water's response has been to provide a few sandbags and rudimentary clean up of the sewage.

"A third world response from a third rate company."

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Thames Water apologised for the flooding but blamed it on recent heavy rain.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: "We are sorry for any flooding experienced by Stonesfield Common following the recent wet weather.

"Due to the heavy rainfall, high levels of groundwater have infiltrated into our local sewer system causing it to overload and in some occasions, release diluted wastewater from nearby manholes.

"On Tuesday October 22 we replaced two manhole covers by the common and bolted them down to help mitigate against flooding in the future.

"As infrastructure ages and demand on it increases, more investment is needed across the entire sector.

"That’s why we’ve asked for increased investment in the next regulatory cycle between 2025-2030.

"We have clear and deliverable plans to upgrade 250 of our sites across the region, to increase capacity including at our Witney sewage treatment works."