Long-standing leak fixed thanks to Skipton man's rubber ducks

Mr Majors filled the pooled water with rubber ducks

A Skipton man whose business had been badly damaged by an unresolved leaking pipe, found a quackers way to attract the attention of Yorkshire Water.

Dean Majors, a massage therapist, said that the problem had not been dealt with by the water company for three years, despite reporting the issue.

Eventually, in the hope of finally having the problem resolved, he poured hundreds of rubber ducks into the pooling water outside his business, The Backcave.

Yorkshire Water, who spotted the ducks on social media, has subsequently repaired the leak thanking customers "for their patience".

The floor in Mr Majors' business was once again left damaged by flooding over the weekend

Mr Majors said that the leak had reappeared many times since 2021, causing a variety of problems including sinking tarmac, geysers and flooding.

Last weekend the leak once again resurfaced on New Market Street, forcing him to close his business after it flooded the premises and caused the flooring to rise.

Yorkshire Water were alerted and attended the site, but said they were unable to repair the leak due to restricted access.

Mr Majors said: “The water seeped into 'The Cave' and lifted the lino. I had to close whilst they put a waterproof screen down.

“I lost three days of business. I’ll pull it back, but it’s been a pain. I decided to pour the rubber ducks in to make it [the leak] more noticeable.”

Yorkshire Water spotted the ducks after they were shared on social media, with the problem being fixed the following day.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the repair is now complete, and our team has moved off-site.

"We’d like to thank customers again for their patience and apologise once more for any impact.”

The ducks' appearance on social media caught the attention of Yorkshire Water.

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