South Yorkshire families urged not to pour Christmas fats and oils down the sink

Yorkshire Water is warning people in South Yorkshire not to throw the leftover grease and oil from Christmas dinner down the sink.

The fats and grease produced by Christmas dinners can cool and solidify if thrown down the sink, creating blockages.

James Harrison from Yorkshire Water said: "You can pour them into a separate container and let them cool, and then you can put them in the bin or if you've got some bird seed you can create a fat ball - I know there's plenty birds this time of year that would appreciate the extra calories, or you can use some kitchen towel and wipe it directly out of the pans."

Yorkshire water has dealt with 27,000 blockages in South Yorkshire in 2023, with Sheffield and Barnsley among the hotspots. The company says those blockages have cost millions of pounds to repair.

The cold weather can also pose a risk to pipes, with the potential for them to freeze if households are away visiting relatives for several days at a time.

James Harrison said: "Make sure you've got the thermostat set at a sensible level to make sure you've got a constant amount of heat, don't go switching it off completely because that risks pipes freezing during a cold snap and if you've got pipes that are particularly exposed think about having them insulated in some way."

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