Disgust as fatberg discovered in Horsham town centre

Shoppers were forced to cover their noses after a fatberg was discovered blocking several drains in the Carfax yesterday. For more see: Horsham fatberg: ‘People were walking past retching'

Engineers spent the day unblocking the sewer system in the area, causing a horrible stench which affected traders and left staff feeling sick.

Southern Water said the incident was not the first in the area and urged households and businesses to dispose of their waste properly.

A spokesman said: “Our teams were called to attend to blocked drains in Carfax, Horsham yesterday and the sewer was jetted. This is not the first time there has been a problem nearby. Fat, oil and grease are major causes of sewer blockages and it is very important that households and businesses - especially restaurants - dispose of waste properly.”

The spokesman added: “Fatbergs may be fascinating but they cause misery when sewers back up and cause flooding inside homes. Water companies in England & Wales spend £90 million clearing over 300,000 blockages a year - money that comes from customer bills. Our campaigning and regular sewer cleaning has helped reduce blockages in our region by 13 per cent since 2017 but if we all work together, then we can eliminate the problem forever.”