Paddling Poo(l)

By Amity Last edited 199 months ago
Paddling Poo(l)
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The term ‘wading knee deep in shit’ has taken on new meaning for residents of Harrow in north-west London.

Parents in the Kenmore Avenue area were horrified to discover that the floodwater their children were playing in and near contained sewage waste. Mohammed Ayaiz, whose son, Usmaan, developed an itchy rash after coming into contact with the water, said: “We’ve told him he can’t play outside there anymore and I take him to the park instead.”

Good plan, Dad. We must say, we would’ve thought a bit less of you if you’d just shrugged and given him a pair of Wellies and a sieve.

Thames Water and Harrow Council had previously sent cleaning teams to decontaminate the area but said they will send for another round if there are still concerns. A spokesman for the Environmental Agency advised that no one enter the water, either in a vehicle or on foot, for both contamination and health and safety reasons.

Splashing merrily along in the water only to discover that the brown stains on your hands aren’t from mud, but your neighbours’ poo, has got to be up there with finding yourself trapped inside a port-a-loo that comes dangerously close to tipping over, on the third day of Glastonbury, when the toilets cease to be merely nasty and become the stuff of legends and nightmares (as experienced by this Londonista).

Kids, we feel your pain. This may be the first time that we (and your parents) would suggest playing video games or watching loads of telly over frolicking outside. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Image courtesy of ZIGFIL's Flickr photostream

Last Updated 02 August 2007