'Get a grip', water chiefs told after record pollution spills

RIVER AND SEA OVERFLOWS SOAR 54%

- Steph Spyro

FAT cat water bosses were criticised by furious campaigners yesterday after figures revealed a record number of pollution spills last year.

Storm overflows dumped sewage into rivers and seas across England for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023 - more than double the previous year, the Environment Agency has said.

This amounts to 464,056 spills last year, up 54% from 301,091 in 2022.

James Wallace, chief executive of campaign group River Action, said: "Water bosses must get a grip of the crisis their businesses have helped cause through chronic under-investment, that has resulted in them spilling raw sewage into our rivers every year.