WIPE OUT!

IT'S a dirty job but someone has to do it. Severn Trent's Terry Churchill earns his living unblocking pipes and drains many bunged up with items that should never have been flushed away.

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The football crazy 46-year-old has shared the wisdom garnered by years on the job and has named the biggest culprit. He said: "Wet wipes are the number one problem. People should not be flushing them down the toilet, including ones that falsely claim they are flushable.

"Fats, oils and greases should never be poured down sinks or drains either as they can also cause fatbergs. I've seen whole pipes blocked because of them."

Terry is just one member of teams that are called out to unblock clogged pipes and drains. In the worst cases, fatbergs can result in sewage flooding back into homes and gardens.

Terry and crewmate Luke Hufton, 25, rapidly respond to the gross blockages across Nottingham, with other teams tackling similar issues in the Midlands.

Severn Trent cleared 28,782 blockages last year and the company is urging customers to only put the '3Ps' poo, pee and paper down their toilets.