'Russian poolette' road in Berkshire renamed Sewage Street

Tongue-in-cheek signs have popped up in a village where people have complained of playing "Russian poolette" as sewage runs through the streets.

Residents in Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire, have reported cars splashing people with the polluted water as they stand on pavements in Water Street.

One of the road signs has now been renamed "Sewage Street" in an example of "typical British humour".

Thames Water said it had plans to upgrade local treatment works.

Rising groundwater levels in recent months has led to sewage flooding the streets, with "toilet paper and tampons" seen coming up from manhole covers, residents have said.

Susie Jenkins told BBC News: "I have just had my new coat drenched in sewage and it goes in your face and hair. It's really not much fun.

"I was chatting to a friend just a bit further down [the street] a couple of weeks ago. We were standing relatively close to a pothole. The car wasn't even going very fast and it drenched our faces and hair. It was really, really unpleasant."

She said the new homemade signs were examples of "typical British humour".

"We're not getting many people listening to us but perhaps we need to find the funny side of something that really is absolutely horrendous because otherwise we would literally be crying," she added.

Earlier this month, a Thames Water spokesperson said: "We are working hard to make these discharges unnecessary and have published plans to upgrade over 250 of our sites, including our Hampstead Norreys sewage treatment works.

"This project will increase the treatment capacity of incoming sewage and reduce the need for overflows during wet weather."

A West Berkshire Council spokesperson said the authority "will work with Thames Water to explore what can be done to help reduce the impact of groundwater on sewer systems in the future."

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