HOMEOWNERS are being urged to stop flushing wet wipes down toilets, as the items have been revealed to be the number one cause of sewer blockages last year.

Yorkshire Water said wet wipes, which aren't suitable to be flushed down toilets, make up almost 12,000 of the 26,790 blockages in its sewer network last year, by far the most common cause of problems.

Many wet wipes contain plastic meaning they do not break down in sewers, unlike toilet paper - meaning they can become snagged and stick together, blocking the flow of sewage.

This can lead to problems with people's toilets, sewage backing up into people's homes and gardens or onto roads, and can also lead to pollution in local rivers and streams.

Mark Hammond, head of customer field services at Yorkshire Water, said: “A considerable proportion of blockages our teams dealt with in 2021 were caused by wet wipes being flushed into the network.

"We spend millions of pounds every year resolving blockages caused by wet wipes and the incorrect disposal of items down toilets and sinks, money which could be better spent elsewhere.

“We are urging people who use wipes to put them in the bin once used.”