Southern Water's former chief executive Matthew Wright has lost a High Court bid to block fraud charges over allegations that wastewater tests were manipulated to hide pollution breaches and avoid about $60.1 million (£45 million) in penalties. The ruling clears the way for a prosecution against Wright and three other former employees.
The Environment Agency says the alleged scheme involved artificial 'no-flow' events at treatment works between 2012 and 2017. It argues that the tactic was designed to stop failing samples being taken under the self-monitoring regime used at the time.
