Television property expert Sarah Beeny was knee deep in waste yesterday for a new Yorkshire Water campaign to stop people putting inappropriate objects down toilets and sinks.

The water company has said in a single year in Bradford there have been 108 home flooding incidents caused by people putting the wrong things down their toilets and sinks.

Throughout Yorkshire there have been 1,064 incidents of flooding inside and outside people’s homes as a result of people putting fats, baby and make-up wipes and sanitary items down the toilet and sink.

The company has cleared 18,000 blockages in its sewers with 37 per cent of these caused by this type of behaviour.

The property expert yesterday experienced what can happen as she stood in a re-constructed bathroom and kitchen filled with the contents of an overflowed toilet and sink to launch the Doing the Dirty campaign.

She said: “While filming programmes I have come across problems caused by residents who have been happily pouring things like fat down their sink without realising the problems they cause.

“People need to realise their toilets and sinks are not designed to take away this type of material. If they continue to dispose of things in this way they risk causing damage to their property.”

Fran Winter, network protection manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “These blockages can cause people’s toilets and sinks to back up into their homes. This is a very unpleasant experience.

“It is really important that customers understand the impact that disposing of things incorrectly down their toilet and sink can have on their homes.

“We know it might seem like pouring even a small amount of fat down the sink will not cause a problem, but a small amount every day could eventually lead to a big problem.

“Over time, fat builds up in pipes to form what is best described as a block of lard – this then blocks pipes, meaning water cannot escape and ends up coming back up through toilets and sinks.”

The water company is set to spend £180m in the next five years to help reduce the risk of sewer flooding from both inside and outside people’s homes.

For more information visit yorkshirewater.com, where you will also find a kit to make bird food out of left-over fat rather than pouring it down the sink.