A huge mass of wet wipes stuck in a sewer took Welsh Water workers hours to unblock – after nearly causing a sewage flood.

Workers from the water company were called to a property in Ammanford after a customer report.

The huge blockage was cleared by two sewerage operatives, Daniel Issac and Jon Fry, and the sheer scale of the problem meant they were working for hours to retrieve all the wipes.

The company has called on all customers to avoid flushing any wet wipes down the toilet – warning that flushing just one wipe can result in sewers becoming blocked and flooding homes and businesses.

It also warned that customers should avoid tipping fat, oil and grease down their sinks as it can also build up in the sewer and cause a flood.

The company has spoken to the customer to explain the devastating impact of flushing wipes and has asked them to dispose of them responsibly in future.

Welsh Water, the only not-for-profit water company in England and Wales, estimates it tackles around 20,000 blockages a year, at around £5 million cost every year to the company.

Paul Kingdon, Welsh Water's Head of Wastewater Networks, said: "The truth is, just a single wet wipe is enough to start a blockage in your sewer pipe and risks causing catastrophic flooding in your home – causing significant distress and cost.

"While the majority of people do the right thing and dispose of wipes in the bin, there are still some that are unknowingly risking their family homes.

"This incident in Ammanford is a stark reminder that only the three 'Ps' should be going into your toilet - pee, poo and (toilet) paper - and everything else should either be recycled, if your local council provides this service, or put in your bin."

The water industry body, Water UK, produced research which found that unflushable wipes made up around 93% of the material causing the sewer blockages.

Welsh Water runs a Stop the Block campaign to highlight the dangers of flushing materials that could block the pipes - working in schools to educate children about the risks of throwing materials like wet wipes, cotton buds, and even nappies down the toilet.