This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-26937473

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Dead piranhas found blocking Shropshire sewers Dead fish found blocking Shropshire sewers
(about 3 hours later)
Residents of a Shropshire town have been told a fishy smell coming from their drains was caused by dead piranha fish, which had been flushed down the 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. Severn Trent Water said they had been called to Madeley, in Telford, in March, following complaints of a fishy smell coming from their drains.
They found "a small number" of the dead fish in the sewers. Residents were told someone locally had been disposing of dead fish, including piranhas, down a toilet.
The company said: "It appears a nearby resident had been disposing of dead fish down the toilet." But the fish was more likely to be a freshwater tilapia, experts said.
Piles of pantsPiles of pants
Severn Trent said it had done a CCTV survey of the sewers on New Road and found a blockage, which turned out to be the fish. 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.
Sewerage technician Matt Final said: "We've certainly seen some weird things in the sewers over the years but we were a little shocked to remove piranhas. It is the second time this year it has needed to investigate a sewer blockage in Shropshire caused by odd items.
"You wouldn't think a fish of this size would fit down a toilet."
Severn Trent said it was the second time this year it had 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.In January, sewers in Ditton Priors, near Bridgnorth, were blocked by piles of pants that had been flushed down a toilet.
Sue Fulford, the company's customer operations manager, said: "The drains that take waste water away from your home are only a few inches wide and are meant to take water, toilet roll and human waste. A spokesman said: "At the end of the day, nothing like that is meant to be flushed down the toilet.
"Toilet roll is meant to break down when it gets wet so it washes easily through the system. That's not the case... with large tropical fish." "It caused a blockage and we had to go out and clear it using taxpayers' money.
"Whether it is a piranha or a freshwater fish you can buy, do not flush it down the toilet."