Keep your wipes out of the pipes.

That was the advice from the Consumer Council for Water on World Toilet Day (November 19), with households across Worcestershire being urged to join the battle to reduce the tens of thousands of blockages clogging up drains and sewers.

Adult toys, a dismantled greenhouse, space hopper and hand grenade were just a few of the strange finds discovered in the bowels of our sewers, as water companies spent about £50 million clearing over 200,000 blockages in 2014 to 2015 caused by inappropriate items put down the loo and sink.

But none of these items came close to matching the pain in the drain caused by the thousands of wet wipes flushed down the loo, or the greasy fats and oils poured down the sink.

Steve Grebby, the Consumer Council for Water's sewerage expert, said: “Sewer flooding causes misery for thousands of households every year, which is why it’s in all our interests to keep our drains and sewers clear and flowing freely.

“One very simple way we can do that is by making sure we only flush pee, poo and paper down the loo.”

According to CCWater research a growing number of consumers – 64 per cent in 2014 compared to 43 per cent in 2013 - can identify what items should not be flushed down the loo.

But wet and so called ‘flushable’ wipes still accounted for up to a third of sewer blockages in some parts of England and Wales.

And ultimately it’s customers who end up footing the bill to clear up the mess through their water and sewerage bills.