Belford stench ruins bride Karen Steele's big day

Jun 17 2010 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

A WEDDING day was ruined by a foul smell which caused family and friends to retch while official photographs were being taken, guests claimed yesterday.

Bride and groom Karen Steele and David Hepper tied the knot at St Mary’s Church in Belford, Northumberland, on Saturday.

However, as the happy couple and guests were leaving the church, they were assailed by a vile agricultural stink lingering in the air.

Guests were seen to retch and cover their mouths and noses with their hands or handkerchiefs.

And many guests, including the bride’s uncle, did not hang around for the official photographs outside because of the smell.

Bride Karen, 26, who is now living in Kent, but has family from the village, is said to have been “devastated.”

The newlyweds were last night on their honeymoon at Cape Verde in West Africa.

Brother John Steele, 24, of Dinningside, who works at the village Co-op, had walked Karen down the aisle.

He said last night: “The smell was so bad.

“Everyone just felt sick, everyone was holding their noses and it was just awful.

“Everyone was just talking about it instead of the wedding.

“My sister was devastated because it spoilt her day in a way. She wanted it to be perfect.” Karen’s uncle Gilbert Birdsall, 67, of South Farm, Belford, and owner of a ready mix company, was one of those who did not hang around for the official photos.

He said: “People just went away because they could not bear the smell.

“They went away to the community club to get away from the smell. It spoilt that bit.

“They never got the full family pictures, I was one of the guilty ones that did off.