We’ve seen our fair share of crap cycle paths over the years on road.cc, but one popular active travel route in Cumbria this week offered a startlingly literal interpretation of that unwanted descriptor, after schoolchildren were forced to trudge through raw sewage that had spilled onto the path following a blockage.

The sewage spill – described as “absolutely vile” and “unacceptable” by local residents and politicians – took place last week on the Valley Link off-road cycle path at Mirehouse, just south of Whitehaven, Cumbria.

Water company United Utilities says the stretch of cycle path affected by the sewage, and used by children walking and cycling to Valley Primary School, has now been cleared after concerns were raised by locals, and that the flooding onto and across the path had been caused by a sewer blockage.

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However, one local politician claimed that this month’s foul-smelling incident was simply the latest in a long line of flooding-related issues on the cycle path, and called on the water company to sort out the problem “once and for all”.

Sewage on Mirehouse cycle path (Kairen Gearing, Facebook)
Sewage on Mirehouse cycle path (Kairen Gearing, Facebook) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

(Credit: Kairen Gearing)

The issue was first reported last week on the local Mirehouse Matters Facebook group, where residents posted photos of the sewage covering the entire path. According to the group’s members, the sewage had been present on the path since last Monday during a cold snap before melting later in the week, prompting many locals to report the matter (and the stench) to the council.

“It wasn’t too bad when it was frozen, but now it’s melted it reeks and people are trailing it into their houses and the kids are trailing it through Valley Primary where there are kids that get sick easily,” one group member said.

“And you can’t walk around it either because it’s covering the grass right up to the trees.”

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Speaking to Cumberland News, Mirehouse Matters’ moderator Carl Walmsley criticised the slow response from the council and water company in dealing with the rather repulsive cycle path barrier.

“I walked through it the other day, not realising what it was, and it’s absolutely vile,” he said.

“I know it’s been reported many times by concerned residents as they have put it on the Mirehouse Matters page. How it hasn’t been seen as a priority job is beyond me.

“It’s on a popular stretch of the cycle track used by residents of all ages and is on the Valley School route. The councillor for the area was informed and he says he is chasing it up. Hopefully, it will be resolved as soon as possible.”

Mike Hawkins, who represents Mirehouse on Cumberland Council, also told the local newspaper that “this is just the latest incident on that footpath going back many years with flooding”.

“It’s time United Utilities sorted out the problem once and for all. It’s unacceptable that children have to go through this,” he said.

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After clearing the path this week, a spokesperson for United Utilities said: “A team has carried out investigations into the sewer blockage, which caused flooding onto the footpath and found that everything was operating as normal.

“As an extra precaution they will be returning to carry out further CCTV checks along a length of the sewer to double check that the issue is resolved.

“These types of blockages are often caused by items like wet wipes, or fats, oil, and grease being poured or flushed as they get stuck in the pipes and don’t break down.

“We always remind people that only pee, poo, and paper can go down the loo and to dispose of cooled fat and oil from plates, roasting dishes, pans, and utensils into the bin.”