Over 350 category one spills were reported for the latest timeframe which is a rise of 40%

Thames Water reported over 350 category one sewage spills in the six months to the end of September.

This comes as the company, which serves 16 million customers, battles more than 1£15 billion of debt.

It has already had to secure over £3 billion just to keep operating beyond July next year.

However the chief executive, Chris Weston, says the company has made solid progress on its attempted turnaround

Gary Carter, GMB National Officer, said:

“Thames Water is sinking in debt and the Government needs to step in.

“Right now the company is being squashed by an ever-increasing debt mountain, on increasingly arduous terms, that make meaningful recovery virtually impossible.

“It’s time this disastrous experiment in privatisation was recognised and steps taken to return the company to the public sector.

“Customers and staff deserve so much better than to pay for the total incompetence of management and the regulator.”