West London top of the blocks for sewer fatbergs

THAMES Water has revealed they cleared more than 100 blockages every day from London’s sewers over the last 12 months as a west London borough is named the worst for blocked drains in the whole capital.

The 41,167 blockages were caused by Londoners putting “unflushable” items like cooking oil or wet wipes down the drain and marked an almost 4% increase compared to the previous year.

The company’s sewer flushers even took part in a special “3D fatberg experience” recently at the South Bank to implore passers-by to help reduce blockages.

Fatbergs, which can flood homes, are defined as “large masses of solid waste in a sewerage system, consisting especially of congealed fat and personal hygiene products that have been flushed down toilets”.

We can now reveal London’s top “fatberg hotspots”, four of which are in west London, which experienced the greatest number of blockages in the last 12 months.

This outer east London borough was just shy of 2,000 blockages in the past twelve months.

With 1,925 in one year, the area experienced a nearly 7% increase since the previous period. Thames Water revealed that it currently spends £18 million on clearing blockages to keep the London sewers running.

This Essex borough, named because it merged West Ham and East Ham, had 1,978 blockages.

This marked an even bigger jump from the last year than Barking and Dagenham, with a 12% increase in the number of blockages.

Thames Water says it is committed to reducing blockages by 10,000 across the region before 2025 as part of its £11.7 billion business plan.

The first west London borough on the list, and the first to edge over the 2,000 mark with 2,012 blockages, is leafy Ealing.

Thames Water’s Henry Badman said that many people “still do not realise the scale of the problem in London”.

He added: “These blockages can lead to flooding in people’s homes which is incredibly unpleasant to deal with and can be very costly, while also having a devastating impact on the environment.”

Just north of number 10 on the list, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge also has a huge fatberg problem, with 2,018 blockages in one year.

As part of their determined effort to get customers to stop flushing inappropriate items down the drain, Thames Water unveiled a special mural at the Southbank.

They also allowed some brave passers-by to smell what the sewer flushers clearing the drains have to battle every day as part of a “3D experience”.

Next on the list is the London Borough of Brent, which jumps to a whopping 2,189 blockages in only 12 months.

Thames Water hopes revealing these statistics will drive awareness of proper sewer usage.

They say only the “3 Ps” should ever be put down the drain – pee, poo and paper.

Outer north London borough Enfield had a shocking 2,317 blockages, which averages out to more than six a day across an area with a population of only around 300,000.

While many people now know that wet wipes cannot be flushed, they might not be aware that it is also inappropriate to put excess cooking oil in London’s sewer system.

Thames Water’s Henry Badman advised members of the public to store cooking oils in a container such a jar to cool and then putting it in the bin, rather than pouring it A MAN was rushed to hospital after a stabbing in Yiewsley high street on Sunday evening.

At least five emergency vehicles turned up and a police cordon used on High Street, Yiewsley, after a man was stabbed in the leg.

Metropolitan Police confirmed it was called to the scene by paramedics at 5.51pm on Sunday following reports a man had been attacked.

A spokesman for the force said: “Officers attended and found a man, aged in his 40s, down the drain and risking a blockage.

Yet another east London borough is number four on the list with 2,331 blockages.

Surprisingly, this is a slight decrease from both the previous year, when there were 2,386 blockages, and the year before.

West London’s Hillingdon takes home a shameful top three spot with 2,379 blockages.

This is a whopping 15% increase from the previous year and means the borough is well on its way to an average of seven blockages every day.

Mr Badman added that: “It may seem easier to pour oil down the sink or flush wet wipes away thinking the problem has gone, but someone has to deal with it – and it could be you if the blockage occurs on your property.”

Bexley, a south east London borough suffering from a stab injury to his leg. He was taken to hospital where his injuries were not deemed to be life-threatening.

“There have been no arrests at this stage. A crime scene was in place but has since been closed.”

London Ambulance Service sent an incident response officer, two single responders in cars and an ambulance crew to the scene.

“We treated a man at the scene and took him as a priority to a major trauma centre,” a spokesperson added. that borders Bromley, is the capital’s second largest “fatberg” hotspot, with 2,430 blockages recorded.

Earlier this year, a Channel 4 documentary revealed the secrets of one of London’s fatbergs, which was an unbelievable 750 metres long, meaning it would take around 10 minutes to walk its full length.

Science enthusiast Rick Edwards, who presented the programme, described it as looking “like a murder scene”.

The top hotspot in London for blockages and fatbergs goes to one of west London’s very own boroughs, the home of Phil Collins, Mo Farah and Sir Alec Reed.

With an unbelievable 2,497 blockages, it means there is a blockage for every one hundred people living in Hounslow.

But if you would like to take a look at a fatberg for yourself, there is no need to jump on the Piccadilly line.

A 130 tonne monster is now on display at the Museum of London for your edification.