Eton can’t open because the toilets can’t cope with 1,350 boys after Christmas

'The sewers in the centre of Eton won’t cope with the arrival of nearly 1,350 boys.'

Pupils at Eton College have been told to stay home ahead of their spring term because of sewage issues.

The elite school has been forced to delay their spring term after telling parents the toilets in its boarding houses were backing up due to sewerage problems from recent floods.

Students had been due to return to class on Tuesday but an ‘overloaded local sewer system’ has forced them to move to remote learning.

The delayed start of term at the school in Berkshire comes as nearly 100 flood warnings remain in place in England following last week’s Storm Henk deluge.

A spokesperson for Eton College said: ‘Following extensive flooding in the region, the Thames Water sewers which serve the town of Eton flooded.

‘The sewers in the centre of Eton won’t cope with the arrival of nearly 1,350 boys.

‘Therefore, boys could not return for the scheduled start of term on January 9 and the college has moved to remote teaching.

‘We are in regular contact with Thames Water as they seek to resolve the situation and we look forward to welcoming boys back as soon as possible.’

A Thames Water spokesperson said: ‘Our engineers are responding to reported sewerage issues at Eton College, Windsor.

‘We are sorry to staff and students who have been impacted. Our teams will be carrying out a clean-up in the coming days once the river levels recede.’

Eton, near Windsor, is one of the most prestigious schools in Britain, with fees of about £50,000 a year per pupil.

It is well known for its high-ranking former students, with alumni ranging from Boris Johnson and David Cameron to Princes Harry and William.

Thames Water updated its website with a notice on January 8 saying ‘the heavy rainfall of recent weeks and a high water table have put huge pressure on our sewers and pumping stations’.

The supplier has been at the centre of a crisis engulfing the industry as calls from the public and politicians to stop releasing sewage into waterways coincided with soaring debt costs.

Parts of England experience some of the worst flooding in years last week, with hundreds of flood warnings including for the Severn and Thames rivers.

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