Belgravia fatberg: 'Disgusting' mass cleared from sewer

Image source, Thames Water/PA Media

Image caption, Engineers cleared the final sections of the blockage using small tools and their hands

A "massive and disgusting" 10-tonne fatberg has been cleared from a central London sewer.

The mass of fat, grease and "unflushable" items such as wet wipes was blocking a sewer beneath Cadogan Place in Belgravia.

Thames Water engineers dug through 300m (984 ft) of silt and grease to reach the 30m (98 ft)-long fatberg before blasting it with water jets.

The water firm said it had weighed "more than an African elephant".

Image source, Thames Water/PA Media

Image caption, The mass was blocking a sewer beneath Belgravia

Engineers had to clear the final sections of the blockage using small tools and their hands.

Thames Water's head of waste networks Matt Rimmer said the fatberg had "set hard and had to be destroyed to get the sewer flowing well again".

"Our brilliant engineers were able to clear the huge blockage before it caused serious problems, but we're urging everyone to be especially careful what they flush down their toilets," he added.