THE SINGING sewermen are back with their latest reworked Christmas carol in a bid to prevent blocked pipes over the festive season.

“Jingle Smells” is sung to the tune of Jingle Bells but with new lyrics to warn pouring cooking oils down sinks and flushing wet wipes down toilets can cause blockages, leading to flooded homes and streets.

A You Tube video of the group from Southern Water in hard hats and Santa costume belting out the song around a sewer had 50 hits in the first few hours. The chorus is:“Please don’t flush, please don’t flush, wet wipes down the loo. They can cause a blockage and flood your house with poo.

“Please don’t pour cooking oils down your kitchen sink. They’re a pain in the drain. And they will cause a stink.”

Last year’s rousing rendition of Twelve Days of Christmas clocked up 3,000 views around the world and the singing sewermen hope to beat that figure this year by drafting in a keyboard player and more vocal talent.

While the clogged-up sewer on screen is a trick of the eye created by a 3D artwork, the problem of blockages caused by wipes and oils is very real, say water company chiefs.

In the last six months there have been more than 3,000 blockages caused by congealed cooking oil and wet wipes in Southern Water region, including 50 in Winchester.

To watch the song visit youtube.com/SouthernWaterUK.