SUSSEX'S top chefs, restaurateurs and hoteliers enjoyed a tour of Brighton's Victorian sewers.

The underground event was organised by the Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival and Southern Water, as part of the company's Pain in the Drain campaign.

Water bosses aimed to raise awareness of the problems caused by fat, oil and grease (FOG) being disposed of down sinks or drains.

Along with non-biodegradable products such as wet wipes being flushed down the toilet, FOG contributes to more than 17,000 blockages each year on Southern Water's 40,000km sewer network. These blockages can lead to flooding of homes and businesses.

On the tour, 50 guests walked through the network of sewers and chambers under the city centre before emerging through a manhole near the Royal Pavilion.

Geoff Loader, director of communications at Southern Water, said: “We want to encourage customers in the catering and hotel trade to collect the fat and oil used in their kitchens.

“This can then be sold for recycling into bio-diesel, for example.”