ITEMS from cutlery to T-shirts have been cleared from the region's sewers, Yorkshire Water has revealed.

The company has marked Halloween by spotlighting some of the 'horrors' discovered in its sewerage system.

Last year, Yorkshire Water jetting teams cleared more than 31,480 blockages.

Hot fat or cooking oil, which coagulates when cool, being poured down sinks was one of the biggest culprits.

But obstructions were also caused by objects including cutlery, T-shirts and even rubber ducks.

A company spokesperson says: "Blockages are serious business. The damage they can cause to our 20,000-mile-plus pipework across the region costs millions of pounds every year to fix.

"However, around 40 per cent of all blockages are caused by the wrong items being washed away in the sink or flushed down the pan.

"Only the three p's – paper, pee and poo – should go down the loo.

"Products such as wipes are a major cause of blockages. Even when the packaging says they’re flushable, wipes shouldn’t be flushed as they don’t break down in the sewer like toilet paper. They’re built to capture moisture and be strong, and that's what they do."

Further information can be found on the Yorkshire Water website, at yorkshirewater.com/education/blockages