Fatberg size of '700 suitcases' cleared from sewer

A fatberg stretching the length of about 700 suitcases lined up end to end has been cleared from a sewer.

Thames Water said the wall of congealed fat was found filling 500m (1,640 ft) of the sewer under Poyle Road in Slough, Berkshire, near Heathrow Terminal 5.

Big enough to stretch between two airport terminals - it took more than two weeks to clear the mass of fats, oils and grease blocking nearly half the sewer using digging tools to break it up before it was blasted off with water jets.

The water firm said the discovery was a clear reminder that things put down the drain don't "simply disappear".

Thames Water said the giant solid mass "the equivalent of more than 700 suitcases laid end to end" filled nearly half the 1,030-metre-long (3,379 ft) sewer.

Steve Crabb, head of waste operations for Thames Water home counties, said: "This was a stubborn and sizeable blockage, but our teams have worked relentlessly to break it down and keep the network flowing.

"Fatbergs like this are entirely avoidable, and we're urging everyone including businesses to think carefully about what they pour down the drain to help us prevent repeats of this in future."

The water firm said fats, oils and grease cause more than 20,000 blockages across its network every year and urged people to check its 'Bin It - Don't Block It' advice.

It said these blockages cause more than 60% of sewer floods and cost about £40m a year.