Dead fish found blocking Shropshire sewers Published duration 8 April 2014

image copyright Severn Trent image caption Severn Trent said a resident was disposing of dead fish down a toilet

Dead fish pulled from a blocked sewer in a Shropshire town did not include a dead piranha, a water company has confirmed.

Severn Trent Water said they had been called to Madeley, in Telford, in March, following complaints of a fishy smell coming from their drains.

Residents were told someone locally had been disposing of dead fish, including piranhas, down a toilet.

But the fish was more likely to be a freshwater tilapia, experts said.

Piles of pants

The water firm said it had done a CCTV survey of the sewers on New Road and found a blockage, which turned out to be the fish.

It is the second time this year it has needed to investigate a sewer blockage in Shropshire caused by odd items.

In January, sewers in Ditton Priors, near Bridgnorth, were blocked by piles of pants that had been flushed down a toilet.

A spokesman said: "At the end of the day, nothing like that is meant to be flushed down the toilet.

"It caused a blockage and we had to go out and clear it using bill payers' money.

"Whether it is a piranha or a freshwater fish you can buy, do not flush it down the toilet."

Related Topics Telford