Blocked pipe in Accrington caused road to flood with raw sewage

Keely Alice Isherwood, who reported the incident on December 23, said it took days for the blocked pipe, in Thorneyholme Road, Accrington, to be fixed.

Unitied Utilities said it fixed the pipe “as a gesture of goodwill” but said the sewers, and any blockages that occur in them, are the responsibility of the housing developer in charge.

Raw sewage on Thorneyholme Road in Accrington (Image: Keely Alice Isherwood)

Keely said there was human waste all over the road and said cars were driving along the road and “splashing the sewage” onto pavements.

She said: “It was very disgusting. The smell was putrid.

“United Utilities told me the pipe is full of rocks and cement but there was a disagreements about who was responsible for fixing it.

“They said they flushed out their part of the drain as a ‘good will gesture’.

“However, even four days later there was sewage all over the road and down into the walkways of the woodland paths, the cricket club and housing estate.”

A spokesperson for United Utilities said: “We attended Thorneyholme Road over Christmas to carry out a sewer clean following reports of blockages from residents.

“This was done as a gesture of goodwill, as these sewers have not been adopted by United Utilities and are the responsibility of the developer.”