Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Piranhas block Shropshire sewer
 One of the dead piranhas that blocked a sewer in Shropshire.
One of the dead piranhas that blocked a sewer in Shropshire.

Resident had flushed fish down the toilet

A Shropshire stink has been traced to piranhas that were blocking the sewers.

Residents in Madeley, Telford, called Severn Trent Water complaining of a fishy smell coming from the sewers.

The water firm sent a team to investigate – and were surprised to find dead piranha fish.

"It appears that a nearby resident had been disposing of dead fish, including piranhas, down the toilet and they had blocked the sewers," said a spokeswoman for the water firm.

Matt Final and Jay Slater from Severn Trent Water who found the fish said: “We’ve certainly seen some weird things in the sewers over the years but we were a little shocked to remove piranhas.

"You wouldn’t think a fish of this size would fit down a toilet, but this is just one example of amazing things we find blocking the sewers.”

The company said it is just one example of inappropriate objects being flushed down the toilet.

In the past year its has been called to nearly 4,000 blockages in Shropshire, about 75 per cent of which were due to people misusing the sewer system. In January it recovered a pile of pants that had been flushed away.

The firm said the blockages are costing the firm more than £10m a year to clean up.

Image by Severn Trent Water

 

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

FIVP launches CMA remedies survey

News Story 1
 FIVP has shared a survey, inviting those working in independent practice to share their views on the CMA's proposed remedies.

The Impact Assessment will help inform the group's response to the CMA, as it prepares to submit further evidence to the Inquiry Group. FIVP will also be attending a hearing in November.

Data will be anonymised and used solely for FIVP's response to the CMA. The survey will close on Friday, 31 October 2025. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
CMA to host webinar exploring provisional decisions

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is to host a webinar for veterinary professionals to explain the details of its provisional decisions, released on 15 October 2025.

The webinar will take place on Wednesday, 29 October 2025 from 1.00pm to 2.00pm.

Officials will discuss the changes which those in practice may need to make if the provisional remedies go ahead. They will also share what happens next with the investigation.

The CMA will be answering questions from the main parties of the investigation, as well as other questions submitted ahead of the webinar.

Attendees can register here before Wednesday, 29 October at 11am. Questions must be submitted before 10am on 27 October.

A recording of the webinar will be accessible after the event.