The shortage of toilet paper has left people looking for alternatives - and flushing them down the toilet.
Panic buying of toilet roll is leading to blocked sewers because those left without toilet paper are being forced to use alternatives and are disposing of them incorrectly.
The warning comes from water company Northumbrian Water, which said an increasing number of people were flushing wipes, kitchen roll and newspaper down the toilet. The company said it understood people were"only improvising" but the consequences could be"devastating" to homes and the environment.Wrongly flushed items are one of the biggest causes of blockages as they usually clog up inside householders' plumbing and sewer pipes.Advertisement
Simon Cyhanko, head of wastewater networks at Northumbrian Water, said:"Wet wipes and toilet roll alternatives, including kitchen roll and newspapers, are the main causes of blockages in our network. "We understand some people affected by the limited toilet roll availability may have no choice but to use alternative products, but we really need our customers' help by making one small change - and that's to put wipes and any alternatives in the bin.
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