Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Sandra Laville Environment correspondent

Jail water firm bosses over ‘appalling’ pollution, says Environment Agency

Polluted water on the River Thames at Maidenhead.
Polluted water on the River Thames at Maidenhead. Water companies continue to be under the spotlight for continuing to allow sewage to be discharged into inland waterways in the UK. Photograph: Maureen McLean/REX/Shutterstock

Water company bosses must be jailed for serious pollution, the Environment Agency (EA) has said, as it revealed English water firms have overseen shocking levels of pollution in the last year.

The agency said water firms’ performance on pollution had declined to the worst seen in years. It is calling for chief executives and board members to be jailed if they oversee serious, repeated pollution because they seemed undeterred by enforcement action and court fines for breaching environmental laws.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.