A SEWAGE system in Bracknell has been disrupted after thick black oil was discovered to have clogged up the pumping station, polluting the water.

Thames Water launched an investigation after the workers quickly discovered a layer of oil on the surface of the water, which could have been a 'disaster' had it not have been discovered by staff.

Steven Gerrard, who manages Bracknell Sewage works, said: "Putting oil in the sewers is incredibly irresponsible and will take a a lot of time and money to clean up.

"Luckily we have prevented it from having an impact on customers or the environment but the wider consequences could have been catastrophic."

A complicated and 'unpleasant' clean up procedure is currently taking place to remove the oil.

For the past week, staff have had to skim the oil of the surface of the water at the treatment works and will continue to do so until it is all removed.

Steven added: "We would urge whoever is responsible to come forward so we can ensure this never happens again."

The works serve thousands of residents in the area and according to Thames Water, this isn't the first time oil has caused problems.

Every year, the water company deals with 75,000 blockages in sewers caused by items such as wet wipes and sanitary products which are flushed down the drain.

The manager has asked people to consider what they flush down the toilet to prevent blockages.

By 2025, Thames Water has committed to reducing the number of blockages to 65,000.