AROUND 6,000 tonnes of 'unflushable' materials are removed from Yorkshire Water sites every year - the same weight as 1,000 African elephants.

Many of these materials, including wet wipes, nappies and plastics, are responsible for blockages that develop within the sewer network, but those that do not cause a blockage eventually make their way to treatment sites where they are removed by screens.

The vast majority of material removed is made up of wet wipes, sanitary products and other unflushable items. Clothing, driving licences, false teeth, mobile phones are some of the more unusual objects removed at Yorkshire Water’s treatment works.

York Press: Skips full of the unflushable items found at Yorkshire Water sitesSkips full of the unflushable items found at Yorkshire Water sites (Image: Yorkshire Water)

Ben Roche, director of wastewater at Yorkshire Water said: “Every year we spend millions of pounds removing blockages in our sewers across the region caused by wet wipes, fats and other unflushables being put into the network.

"Many items incorrectly disposed of into the sewer network do not form blockages and make their way to the treatment works, where they are removed by screens before the wastewater is treated.

“We would urge all our customers not to flush anything but pee, poo and toilet paper – the 3Ps - down their toilets. Removal, recycling and disposal of foreign objects that reach our treatment works incurs costs.”