Fatberg such a hit with public museum may preserve it

 A fatberg on display in a museum has proved so popular that there are plans to preserve it, despite the fact it is starting to “sweat”.

The chunk of a 130-ton fatberg found in the sewers of Whitechapel, east London, went on show at the Museum of London on Feb 9, helping visitor numbers for the month swell to 70,000 – the highest for the year.

Now curators are considering preserving it, so it can be kept for posterity, either in the archives or on show. There has been an “incredible reaction” from visitors, curator Vyki Sparkes told the BBC. “We’ve never worked on anything like it,” she said.

A fatberg is made up of non-biodegradable materials like nappies, baby wipes and cooking fats that collect in sewers.

It was discovered in September 2017 and took three weeks to remove. It was the largest object of its kind ever found, measuring more than 800ft long and weighing about the same as 66 London black cabs.