A developer has been warned about soil entering a river in Bury St Edmunds after a resident highlighted the potential flood risk.

Margaret Westwood, from the Sextons Meadows estate in the town, said she saw “muck” enter the River Linnet while work was carried out at a nearby building site.

Maynewater Developments is building flats in Maynewater Lane, just across the river from the Sextons Meadows estate.

Mrs Westwood expressed concern the soil and muck would cause the river to clog up, destroy the habitat for wildlife and lead to possible flooding at the existing housing estate.

After she raised the issue with the Environment Agency, a spokeswoman said: “We received a complaint from a member of the public on January 14 2015 about soil entering the River Linnet at a development site near Bury St Edmunds.

“Our officers visited the site on January 15 to investigate. They have asked the developer to stop any more soil entering the river and to safely remove deposits of soil from the watercourse. We will continue to monitor the situation and take action as appropriate.”

Mrs Westwood said: “I’m glad they have been asked to clear it out as well.”

Speaking earlier this week, site manager Andrew Maclean, who works for Maynewater Developments, said the situation had not been intentional and it was being rectified.

He said workmen had been digging a hole for a drainage system for rainwater, but heavy rain had washed the soil into the river.

He said: “We will remove the mud and put a bunded tank [a bank] across the area to stop any silt or water getting into the river from the site.”

He said this work was completed on Monday and they would be removing the soil from the river last Tuesday.