Two large lumps of congealed fat and discarded waste – known as a ‘fatberg’ – caused a stink when it caused human waste to flood the street and residents’ gardens.

It was the second time in recent years such a blockage caused noxious sewer materials to rise to street level in Hampton Wick.

The two blockages, at the junction of Park Road and Hampton Wick High Street, were cleared by Thames Water on Wednesday, March 1.

The company distributed information leaflets to residents, and urged them to throw items like wet wipes and sanitary items in the bin, rather than flushing them down the toilet.

Ward councillor Tony Arbour said: “The gist is there was this big blockage of fat and grease. It is thought some of the restaurants nearby might be contributing to the problem.

“I got a few very anxious emails about it. It’s not the first time we have had this, also.

“Thames Water seemed it was significant enough an issue to deliver leaflets.

“This is quite a 21st century problem. You never used to hear of this happening.”

In July 2013 enough fat to fill a double decker bus was discovered clogging up a sewage pipe under London Road in Kingston, necessitating the closure of the entire road.

The mess took a number of months to fully clear.

Of the Hampton Wick blockages, Thames Water said: “After lifting the manhole cover, our team discovered a blocked drain full of fat and grease which they cleared.

“This job will be one of 85,000 blockages we clear every year, which is why our message is simple: if it’s not poo, pee or toilet paper, please ‘Bin it – don’t block it’.”

From September 2013: Kingston 'fatberg' still causing a stink as sewage repair works drag on

Across the country about 8,000 customers a year are affected by sewer flooding caused by people putting the wrong things down the drain.

Materials such as cooking fat, oil, food waste, wet wipes and make-up pads all mix together in the sewers to create blockages.