U.K. energy giant British Gas believes luxuriant toilet paper is partly to blame for the recent rash of clogged toilets across England this year. The utility operates a plumbing division with 1.2 million crapping customers and reports unblocking more than 35,000 toilets in the first six months of 2004.

So British Gas commissioned an independent scientific research firm, Advantica, to conduct tests to determine just how long it takes for various tissue products to dissolve in the toilet. Advantica found that the lower-priced tissues broke up into easily-flushable pulp in just three to four minutes. At the other end of the scale, moist wipes and other similar posterior-pampering paper failed to break down after several days.

British Gas spokesperson, Alan McLauglin said, "The explosion in luxury toilet paper is placing the UK's toilets under considerable strain. Our tests have revealed that some paper takes hours to disintegrate ... resulting in our plumbers being called out more often."