’Boro Bog Blockers
M RTinker is not the first inhabitant of Middlesbrough to block a toilet, and he is unlikely to be the last. We called up some famous sons and daughters of the north-east town to ask about times when they back-filled a chod-bin.
Chris Kamara ’Boro born footballer
“I remember when I was playing for Leeds in the 90/91 season, we were away at Aston Villa. I’d been out the night before and had a couple of chicken parmos, and I had to get rid of them before the match. So after I got my kit on, I nipped to the bog in our changing room and dropped the lot before running out onto the pitch for the first half. But when we came in at half time, the Villa ground staff had put hazard tape across the doorway of the away dressing room. Apparently, I’d blocked the bog so bad that they’d had to call DynaRod, who couldn’t come out until the Monday. So we all had to pile into Villa’s dressing room, and everybody gave me a right old ribbing as you can imagine.”
Kirsten O’Brien ’Boro born TV presenter
“I was in the studio one Saturday morning to record the links for CBBC with Otis the Aardvark, and I nipped to the studio lavvie before shooting began. But I’d been out the night before with John Craven, and had a couple of chicken parmos so I absolutely stacked the pot with bangers and mash, and no amount of flushing would shift it. As I came out, the puppeteer who worked the aardvark nipped in after me, and I heard him shout “Jesus Christ,
Kirsten!” During the recording, he was constantly making in-jokes about my toilet faux pas. I was in crumpled up with laughter and the audience must have wondered was was going on.”
Bob Mortimer ’Boro born comedian
“I was filming an episode of Gone Fishing with Paul Whitehouse, and we were staying in a little hotel in Westmoreland. I’d been out in ’Boro the night before and had a couple of chicken parmos, and when I used the lav in the morning, I blocked it right up. I couldn’t find a plunger or anything to mash it up with, so I had to call room service and tell them what
I’d done. They sent someone up to sort it, but when we went to check out the next morning, they’d added a £15 ‘cleaning charge’ onto the bill, which I can only assume was for shifting my tod.”