Good news at last for wild swimmers? UK water company bosses hit with record £123m fine after 'failing to protect the environment', polluting rivers and lakes with raw sewage

Sonning Bridge, Berkshire, on the River Thames.

After years of rising pollution levels in UK wild waters there is finally some good news for open water swimmers. Thames Water, the largest water management company in the UK, has been hit with the biggest fine ever from regulator Ofwat following two major investigations.

It has been fined £104.5 million for breaches of rules relating to its wastewater operations, which saw dangerous levels of pollution regularly being discharged into rivers. And it's been fined an extra £18.2 million for breaking rules related to dividend payments, which saw shareholders receive large payouts that were "undeserved".