Moldy space hopper forced down manhole floods sewer

A sewer flooded after it was blocked - by a space hopper.

The bouncer - described as "moldy and reeking" - was deliberately forced into a manhole, water bosses confirmed.

A crew from Scottish water was called out to a blockage in the Royston area of Glasgow on Friday after a member of the public witnessed flooding on the nearby grass and pavement.

They lifted a manhole cover, expecting to find "the usual mix of wipes and fatbergs," but instead found an orange space hopper wedged into a pipe below.

It was covered in sludge, starting to go moldy, and "reeking," after sitting there long enough to cause a serious problem.

How it got there remains a mystery – but teams say it's likely someone deliberately forced it down a manhole.

Steven Bennett, Sewer Response Team Manager at Scottish Water, said even his experienced crews were left stunned.

He said: "In our line of work you get used to surprises – but finding a space hopper staring back at you from a sewer is a new one.

"It might be built for bouncing, but in a sewer it just brings everything to a standstill.

"This was one bounce that ended up causing real damage and costing customers in unblocking and repairing."

He added: "You never quite know what you're going to find when you lift a manhole cover or dig down to a sewer pipe – but a moldy space hopper is definitely one of the more unusual discoveries.

"It might raise a smile, but the impact is serious."

Steven explained that Scottish Water deals with around 36,500 blockages each year - mostly caused by wet wipes, cotton wool, contact lenses, sanitary products, or fats and grease.

"Our teams are dealing with blockages day in, day out, often caused by wipes and fat building up in the system," he said.

"When you add something like this into the mix, it can quickly turn into a major issue.

"Objects like this can completely block sewer pipes, forcing wastewater back up into homes and streets, causing flooding, pollution and expensive damage.

"We've found all sorts over the years – a large Winnie the Pooh teddy, a bike, a pair of jeans, fluffy handcuffs and even a snake.

"None of them belong in the sewer, and all of them can cause real damage."

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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 9:47 AM.