Virgin Trains has revealed the strangest things flushed down the loos on its trains in the UK.

One particularly ridiculous toilet blockage on a Virgin Pendolino train was caused by someone attempting to flush a bra, while other strange items lodged in the facilities include glasses, nappies, wedding rings and even a Manchester United scarf.

Virgin say that on an average day, around four toilets out of the 484 it runs are taken out of service as a result of inappropriate use, equating to more than 18,000 lost toilet hours per year and a repair bill of more than £182,000.

However, wet wipes remain the biggest culprit for blockages, accounting for 90% of incidents. Even wipes labelled as ‘flushable’ lead to issues, as the woven materials clog internal pipes that lead to onboard effluent tanks.

Michael Jacks, Head of Fleet and Engineering at Virgin Trains, said: “It did make us smile when we found the bra as it’s not something you would expect to find. But it does highlight a very serious issue, and one that greatly impacts on our customers. Bins are provided, and we would remind our customers to follow the 3Ps of flushing. Only pee, poo and paper should be flushed down any toilet.”

Virgin has been running a campaign to promote responsible toilet use, with an onboard message reading: “Please don’t flush nappies, sanitary towels, paper towels, gum, old phones, unpaid bills, junk mail, your ex’s sweater, hopes, dreams or goldfish down this toilet.”

Image Credit: Virgin Trains