RINGS, watches, necklaces, flowers and saucy underwear.

They’re all items that might come to mind when thinking of gifts for Valentine’s Day – and they’re all items that have been fished out of the sewer by Southern Water, along with condoms and teddies.

The company spends about £100,000 in February clearing out hundreds of tons of non-flushable items, and Hampshire is the third-worst offender in the south after Sussex and Kent.

Employee Stuart Slark, who has worked in the sewers for many years, said: “Me and the other sewer workers often wonder why and how these valuable items, including diamond rings and gold watches, end up in our sewers.

“It is most probably linked to an unfortunate accident but you can’t help but think it could be the result of a Valentine’s Day row.”