A CAMPAIGN to stop people flushing rubbish down their drains and clogging the sewer system is highlighting the £7 million annual cost to taxpayers.

Around 80% of the 40,000 blockages last year were caused by people putting the wrong things down sinks and toilets, from nappies to cooking fat, and even pants and jeans, according to Scottish Water.

A spokesman for Scottish Water said: "Cooking fat, oils and grease coupled with bathroom waste such as cotton buds, nappies and baby wipes creates a perfect storm of solidified fat and material that can't break down easily like toilet paper and collects in large clumps beneath Scotland's streets.

"This leads to the misery of flooding of thousands of properties across Scotland."

Scottish Water has launched a broadcast campaign to tackle the problem.