WESSEX Water has developed a new way to help customers understand what they shouldn’t flush down the toilet.

The water firm, which serves most of Wiltshire and parts of Hampshire, has launched a mobile phone app as part of a Bag it and Bin it campaign to encourage people to bag and bin disposable items rather than flushing them away.

The aim is that by disposing of unsightly products responsibly, beaches, rivers and canals would be better protected. Harm to the marine environment and wildlife could also be avoided and sewer blockages prevented.

Many customers have already downloaded the free app where players must intercept different objects which are thrown at the toilet and instead dispose of them in a bin.

The game includes 15 levels and different versions have been created for both adults and children.

Paul Oaten, head of sewerage services, said: “Most drains connecting homes to main sewers are no wider than four inches, so blockages easily occur if anything other than water, toilet paper and human waste is washed down toilets and drains.

“Around 75 per cent of blockages involve disposable items and these cost millions of pounds annually to remove.”

The new Bag it & Bin it game can be downloaded from the Apple app store.