YEADON has been identified as one of the worst places in Yorkshire for sewage blockages caused by residents.

The town is one of two Yorkshire Water “hotspots” which are the worst offenders for problems caused by flushing wipes down toilets.

Now it is being targeted in a water company campaign to reduce the risk of sewer flooding.

From this week Yorkshire Water is bringing its “Stop it, don’t block it” campaign to the streets of Yeadon to warn of the problems caused by mistakenly flushing wipes and nappies down toilets, along with putting fat down kitchen sinks. The second hotspot is Staveley in Chesterfield.

The company will use local radio stations, posters and social media in March to tell of the problems the blockages can cause, and to explain how customers can reduce the risk of sewer flooding in their homes.

In the last year, Yorkshire Water have cleared 35,000 blockages from sewers, nearly a third of which were caused by wipes, and a further 15 per cent due to fats, oils and grease being put down sinks.

The company will also trial an educational outreach programme for young children, and has written to schools in the hotspot areas to offer free talks from its qualified guides who will teach children about the correct way to dispose of items that can cause blockages.

James Harrison, of Yorkshire Water said: “Having your home filled with waste from your toilet or sink is a very unpleasant experience, which is why we are encouraging people to think twice about what they put down them.”

“In Yorkshire, we’re seeing a significant increase in the amount of sewer blockages related to wipes. We understand information from manufacturers can be quite confusing as some products say flushable on packaging. However we urge people to only put toilet paper down the toilet and to put anything else in the bin.

“We hope that by targeting hotspot areas we can show people what the consequences look like. We know that it might seem a trivial issue for some, but for the people affected, the consequences can be quite traumatic.”

After its campaigns in Yeadon and Staveley, Yorkshire Water intends to tackle more hotspots.

Visit yorkshirewater.com/blockages to find out more.