Residents were left horrified as stinking sewage poured out from a blocked drain and onto a path.

Southern Water say the vile overflow was most likely a result of people sticking "unflushable" items down the toilet.

But angry locals say the sight of excrement in the street harks back to Victorian times and shouldn't occur in the 21st century.

Outraged resident Jane Pratt said: "This is something that would have happened in the 1800s. I was so horrified to see it.

"If this problem isn't solved by summer months when there's an increase of people in Margate it would be frightening.

"In the warmer weather it would be a true health risk.

"I'm just glad it happened in winter."

Ms Pratt shared the startling photo with KentOnline at the weekend.

A Southern Water spokesperson said: "We attended Dane Road and fixed the issue which was caused by a blockage, likely to be a combination of fat, grease and other 'unflushable' items.

"We had to revisit the road to complete a clean up as we were unable to this at the same time due to cars being parked along the road.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Last month Christmas lights were found to be clogging up pipes in Canterbury.

Other unflushable items can include household items such as nappies, wet-wipes and cotton buds.