Thames Water fined £3.3m over river sewage

Thames Water has been fined £3.3m after it discharged millions of litres of undiluted sewage into two rivers, killing more than 1,400 fish.

There was a "significant and lengthy" release of sewage from treatment works near Gatwick Airport in October 2017 into the Gatwick Stream in Sussex and River Mole in Surrey, a court heard.

Thames Water admitted four charges in an Environment Agency prosecution.

It was handed the fine during sentencing at Lewes Crown Court.

The company, which serves 15 million households, faces concerns over its future amid mounting debt.

Judge Christine Laing KC said she believed Thames Water had shown a "deliberate attempt" to mislead the Environment Agency, by omitting water readings and submitting a report to the regulator denying responsibility.

During the hearing, the court had been told by Sailesh Mehta, prosecuting, that the sewage spill was an "accident waiting to happen".

Defending Thames Water, Lisa Roberts KC said: "It shouldn't have happened and Thames deeply regrets the event."

She claimed there was a "faulty switch" in the storm pump that caused the incident which "could not have reasonably been foreseen".

The record fine against a water company for illegal discharge of sewage is held by Southern Water at £90m.