It will take another five months to fully repair sewer damage caused by Kingston's notorious "fatberg", Thames Water has said.
In a letter to customers, contract supervisor Gordon Hailwood said despite removing 15 tonnes of fat from the sewer beneath London Road, fresh fat continues to be poured down drains, causing severe blockages.
Although the initial collapse has been repaired, further damage has been discovered, meaning work will now go back to Cambridge Road.
Mr Hailwood wrote: "We estimate this work could take up to five months owing to the large number of digging complications caused by other large water mains, gas pipes and fibre optic cables."
He also urged residents not to pour fat down drains, adding: "Bin it - don't block it."
The fatberg, reportedly the size of a double decker bus, was initially discovered in early August.
It caught the imagination of internet users, who have viewed a video of the greasy mass more than 115,000 times on YouTube.
National newspaper columnists have also had fun with the gunk, including former Tiffin Girls' student Lynne Truss, who wrote about the fatberg in her Telegraph column.
But it has caused a headache for motorists in Kingston, with London Road partially blocked for almost two months while repairs have been carried out.
Valerie Greenwood, at Alan Greenwood and Sons Funeral, said families visiting the offices at 119 London Road, had been disturbed by drivers arguing in the street, with buses blocking their driveway.
She said: "We've had road rage out here all day long.
"It's been a nightmare and it is going to go on for another five months."
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