Residents living in a UK seaside town have been forced to shut their windows because of a "vile smell" that has been compared to "rotten eggs".

People in Shoeburyness, a town forming part of the city of Southend, Essex, have been reporting foul odours assaulting their nostrils over recent days, particularly along the seafront, with many wondering what is behind the stench.

One resident posted on the Your Southend Facebook group: "It's been every evening. The smell is absolutely vile. I have to close my windows and doors because the smell is coming into the property."

Another agreed, saying: "Shoebury has smelt like rotten eggs for 3 days!"

Residents in Southend, recently voted Essex's fourth best seaside town in a Which? survey, put forward several possible explanations for the cause of the unpleasant odour, reports Essex Live.

However, the Your Southend admin believes it is probably a combination of the scorching weather conditions over recent weeks, low tides and rotting seaweed.

They suggest that, as the tide recedes, vast areas of mudflats are left exposed along the Thames Estuary. The mudflats contain bacteria that decompose seaweed, releasing hydrogen sulphide, a gas notorious for its characteristic rotten egg smell.

It is thought that the recent consecutive heatwaves will probably have sped up the process. This comes after reports of substantial quantities of seaweed being washed up along the shoreline.

This is a theory which has previously been supported by experts. A Florida-based researcher who has been examining seaweed blooms similar to those discovered along Essex's coastline since 1973 told the Guardian that the odour produced by hydrogen sulphide is a "real issue" and "people need to take precautions if they're living in an area with those odours".

UK Government guidance states that an average individual experiencing extended exposure may suffer "notable discomfort". Larger amounts could trigger headaches, bronchial constriction, fatigue and dizziness.

Local resident Donna Young said: "There is loads of seaweed by the seawall near to The Garrison. I don't think I've ever seen so much."

Residents posting on the Facebook group say the odour occurs annually, with one describing it as "one of the downsides of living in a coastal area".

He said: "It's been a natural phenomena at this time of year my whole lifetime, it's one downside to living in a coastal area. Normal seasonal odours and inconveniences of living outside of large towns and cities."

Another added: "I assume it's due to the amount of sea weed at the moment, happens most years to be honest."

Others have suggested that the stench could be originating from a seafood processing plant on the Towerfield Industrial Estate, claiming that decomposing cockle shells left outdoors may be adding to the unpleasant smells in Shoebury.