FILTHY RICH

Executives trouser £250k despite soaring levels of river pollution and rising bills for customers

- PAUL HUTCHEON

SCOTTISH Water fatcats have been awarded £227,000 in bonuses as customers are forced to pay huge rises in water bills.

Alex Plant, the chief executive of the state-owned firm, was given an £87,000 boost on top of a salary higher than the Prime Minister's - with a full financial package worth almost £500,000.

The payments were agreed with the Scottish Government, which was last night urged to act on the "massive" bonuses.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: "This is just the latest in the line of bad decisions from Scottish Water and an insult to hardpressed Scots.

"The Scottish Government cannot stand idle while Scots pick up the tab for Scottish Water.

"It's time the government acted to protect Scottish consumers."

Scottish Water was panned after pushing through an 8.8 per cent bill rise for households during a cost-ofliving crisis.

The firm has also faced criticism recently over a "disgusting" 10 per cent rise in the number of sewage dumps in 2023.

Figures showed that 21,660 discharges were logged, up from 19,676 incidents in 2022.

But its latest accounts show that despite landing extra costs on consumers, it found enough cash for eye-watering bonuses for bosses.

As well as Plant's £87,000 top-up, ex-CEO Douglas Millican landed a £13,000 bonus, chief operating officer Peter Farrer received £73,000 and now-retired strategy director Alan Scott benefited from £54,000.

The £227,000 bonus awarded for 2023-24 is higher than the £211,000 sum for the previous 12 months.