Its use in pipes would make plumbing repairs easier, perhaps sealing leaks before they became serious.

In exchange for lower rental rates, students performed much of the day-to-day maintenance themselves, such as general housekeeping and minor plumbing repairs.

The inmates gained access to the pipes by stealing a key left in a door lock while jail guards were making plumbing repairs.

Its primary work involves making plumbing repairs to existing residential and commercial plumbing systems.

The bars of lead were what we today call solder but were not the wire material we are familiar with today, typically sold for electrical or plumbing repairs.

Shares in the builder's merchant and plumbing supplies company gained 67p to 20.58.

The company, established in 1995, provides a one-stop shop providing building, timber and plumbing supplies to tradesmen.

Warning after warning from the world's biggest plumbing supplies group led to last year's 1 billion rights issue and the departures of the chief executive and the finance director.

They were still manufacturing steam and hot water boilers and radiators as well as plumbing supplies.

The company manufactured and distributed plumbing supplies of all kinds, including faucets, water closets, water heaters, valves and fire hydrants.