Fatty build-ups and 'unflushable' items such as wet wipes and nappies caused more than 1,100 blockages in Windsor sewers last year.

Thames Water engineers were called out to clear blockages around the town and nearby Maidenhead throughout 2019 and the company has now released the figures as it relaunches its annual Bin It – Don’t Block It campaign.

From 2017 to 2019, an average of 5.5 blockages were cleared in Windsor and Maidenhead for every 100 households, a significant increase on the proportion for the Thames Water region as a whole.

Almost 700 blockages last year were caused by items which do not break down in sewer pipes, such as wet wipes, nappies and sanitary products, while more than 200 more were caused by fats, oils and grease poured down the sink.

On average, Thames Water spends £18 million every year clearing 75,000 blockages from its sewers, unclogging five house blockages and removing 30 tonnes of material from just one of its sewage treatment works every day.

Instead of pouring fats and oils down the sink, customers are advised to collect them in a container and leave them to cool down before scraping them in the bin. Wet wipes, sanitary items, nappies and other toiletries should also be binned rather than flushed down the toilet.

Matt Rimmer, Thames Water’s head of waste networks, said: “Sewer blockages caused by unflushable items being put down toilets and sinks pose a massive problem, risking raw sewage backing up in to homes or businesses and costing millions of pounds to clear.

“They can cause massive and disgusting fatbergs that take a great deal of effort and teamwork to clear and get the sewer working well again."

For more information on the campaign visit www.thameswater.co.uk/be-water-smart/Bin-it