Walk down the stairs to the Degraves Street subway from Flinders Street and the stench would have hit you in the face.

A noxious raw sewage smell has wreaked havoc this week in the historic subway, home to the Campbell Arcade, which runs through to Flinders Street Station.

Christopher Bril, owner of Corky St Clair, had to close up shop early. Credit:Paul Jeffers

"It was the worst smell in the history of the world," said Christopher Bril, who runs his small business in the arcade .

"I had to close the shop and go home at 3pm on Wednesday because I couldn't be there any more. Today, I've got the world's most powerful fan to get some air moving as well as five candles."