Thousands of deceased pets flushed away, says United Utilities

70,520 people in the north west have flushed away a deceased pet that wasn’t a fish, reveals United Utilities’ ‘Flush Files’.

One respondent admitted to flushing a dead bird. Another said they had disposed of snake faeces within their own bathroom.

Each year across the North West United Utilities tackles 25,000 blockages, costing around £10 million. The company claims biggest culprits are wipes and food waste.

Tony Griffiths, from United Utilities, said: “We do get some strange things in our sewers – it can be like an episode of the X-Files down there. But while unusual things may grab attention, it’s more mundane items that cause the most problems such as baby wipes, make-up wipes and left over fats, grease and oil from cooking.”