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A grandmother has not been able to let her dogs or grandchildren play in her back garden for months because the drain gets blocked with human excrement 'three times a week'.

Kerry White, who lives with two of her children and her two dogs in the Saffron Lane area, has a drain in her garden under her kitchen window that overflows with baby wipes, toilet roll and human excrement on a regular basis.

The problem first occurred around a year ago, but has become more prominent over the last few months.

The 43-year-old said: "It was blocked last year, but they (Leicester City Council) came out, unblocked it, and it was sorted.

"For the last few months it's been blocked at least three times a week.

"It's a drain in my back garden outside my kitchen window.

"The drain is overflowing with toilet roll, baby wipes and human excrement."

(Image: Kerry White)

Ms White believes the drain must link her house with someone else's as she doesn't use baby wipes, and says she wouldn't flush them down the toilet if she did.

She said: "I live on the end of a cul-de-sac and there's baby wipes so it must involve someone else's home.

"We don't have babies here and I'm a carer in the community so I know not to put baby wipes down the toilet.

"When we have a shower or bath it's got to the point where it's overflowing out of the drain as well."

'My grandchildren can't go out to play'

The problem with the drain is affecting Ms White and her family's lives, as well as her neighbour's.

She said: "It's not making me feel good and it's affecting my neighbour too as it's flowing into his garden. He's an OAP and it's his own home.

"Also my poor animals can't go outside. I have two dogs and they're having to go out the front.

"One of my dogs is 18 so I don't want her getting poorly.

"I have my grandchildren round most days and they can't go out to play. We have a trampoline and that out there for them and they can't use it.

"And I can't open my windows or doors because the smell is horrendous."

Unblocked on Wednesday, blocked again by Thursday

Last week, Ms White called Leicester City Council when the blockage reoccurred once again.

Officers were sent out to unblock the drain on Wednesday, but by Thursday evening Ms White had to call the council again as the drain became reblocked.

She said: "It was unblocked on Wednesday, but then I had to ring again by Thursday evening.

"You get sent a text when a council worker is on their way. I had that text at 10.30pm on Thursday. I waited up for someone until midnight, but they didn't turn up.

"I rang again on Friday and they said someone did come, but they didn't, so they sent someone Friday evening.

"He walked round and looked and said it would need private jetters.

"They will send the council people out during the week but they have to pay private workers over the weekend.

"They did it once but then would've got billed so I doubt they'll do it again."

On this occasion the drain was finally unblocked on Monday afternoon, four days after the incident was first reported.

Although Ms White says the council do unblock the drain satisfactorily, she claims more needs to be done to stop the reoccurring problem.

She said: "This is ongoing and has been for months. I do not think that the council are doing their job properly.

"I think it's something to do with the sewers but they have not got anyone out to check that yet, all they do is unblock the drain.

"There's an underlying problem that needs to be fixed.

"I just need them to sort it out. My garden looks a right mess because of it."

What Leicester City Council said

A city council spokesperson said: "A crew from our housing department went to the property on Monday and successfully cleared the blocked drain using high-pressure jetting equipment.

"Although the issue has now been resolved, we will be apologising to Ms White for not sorting out the problem on Friday.

"On Wednesday, we’ll be carrying out a full survey of the drain that serves her property to try to establish what’s causing it to block repeatedly."