Rubbish Bins Top The Pongs Chart

Rubbish bins have knocked cigarette smoke off top spot as the stinkiest household odour in the annual top of the pongs chart.

Cigarette smoke had held the top spot for three of the last four years years, with the sweaty smell of body odour its only serious rival, winning once in 2004. But rubbish bins have made a surprise jump from eighth place last year to become this year's most hated smell.

The stale smell of smoke has clung on to second place in this years chart, although it is expected to fall next year when the smoking ban comes into effect, and the smell of cooking has come third. The fourth most disgusting smell named by voters was the smell of stale alcohol, perhaps a reflection of the new late licenses and 24 hour drinking culture.

Pets, traffic fumes and damp and decay also featured in the top ten, but cheap perfume, a strong runner-up for the worst smell in previous years, has slipped to the number ten spot, proving that perhaps the rise in celebrity endorsed perfumes is making Brits more discerning in the scents they splash on themselves.

Top of the Pongs, 2007:

1- Refuse bins
2- Cigarette smoke
3- Cooking
4- Stale alcohol
5- Air fresheners
6- Domestic pets
7- Traffic fumes
8- Body odour
9- Damp and decay
10- Cheap perfume
11- Drains
12- Washing
13- Toilets
14- Paint
15- Coffee
16- Hairspray
17- Burning/ scorching
18- Solid fuels
19- Furniture polish
20- Fish