Vapes block drain after being flushed down toilet

Northumbrian Water found 57 vapes squashed inside a drain pipe

Dozens of vapes which were flushed down a toilet have blocked a drain, a water company has said.

Workers at Northumbrian Water found 57 vapes wedged inside a pipe when they were called out to fix the blockage in Darlington.

The team managed to remove the vapes squashed in the pipe and carried out a "routine cleanse" of the drain.

"As well as causing blockages, vapes are also possible explosive devices and have the potential to be dangerous," said Simon Cyhanko, head of wastewater networks at Northumbrian Water.

"Thankfully though, with the hard work of our teams, they were able to be removed quickly and safely without environmental impact."

The pipe was "cleansed" by the team at Northumbrian Water and the blockage was removed

The water company said it was working to "identify and educate those responsible".

It added the biggest cause of sewer blockages were wipes that are flushed down the toilet rather than binned.

"We often see things in the sewers that shouldn’t really be there, so we would like to remind customers that only paper, pee and poo go down the loo," Mr Cyhanko added.