'Failing' water giant hit with record £122m fine

THAMES Water has been fined a record £122.7million for breaking rules over sewage treatment and paying out dividends.

- By Steph Spyro Deputy Political Editor

The penalty is the biggest ever from regulator Ofwat, which said the company had “let down its customers and failed to protect the environment”.

The fines will be paid by the company and its investors, and not by customers, who were hit with water bill increases last month.

Lib Dem environment spokesman Tim Farron said: “This is shocking but hardly surprising. Thames Water has been failing for years — failing to invest, failing to maintain and failing to deliver, and all the while it has been dumping sewage in our rivers and waterways. It has saddled customers with its debts and provided them with shoddy service.