logo
Britain's sewage crisis spirals after surge in number of serious pollution incidents

Britain's sewage crisis spirals after surge in number of serious pollution incidents

The Irish Sun18-07-2025
BRITAIN'S sewage crisis exploded last year with serious pollution incidents up by 60 per cent, damning stats reveal.
There were 75 major incidents in 2024, up from 47 in 2023.
Thames Water was behind 33 of last year's incidents, while Southern Water caused 15, and Yorkshire Water logged 13.
It means the three firms caused 81 per cent of the most serious environmental damage.
Environment Secretary
He highlighted Labour's ban on bonuses for water bosses and a pledge of £104billion to upgrade failing sewage pipes.
And on Monday, he will receive an independent review of the water industry, paving the way for root-and-branch reform.
He is expected to promise to halve spills by 2030 and ensure bills do not spiral.
Sources say he could even scrap watchdog Ofwat — which has been criticised for failing to hold firms to account.
The Environment Agency report also revealed 2,801 total pollution incidents in 2024, up from 2,174 in 2023.
Most read in The Sun
Raw sewage floods street of iconic Scots golfing town
1
Britain's sewage crisis exploded last year with serious pollution incidents up by 60 per cent
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Huge security operation under way on first full day of Donald Trump's visit to Scotland
Huge security operation under way on first full day of Donald Trump's visit to Scotland

Irish Independent

time6 days ago

  • Irish Independent

Huge security operation under way on first full day of Donald Trump's visit to Scotland

The President is expected to take to the greens on the golf course at the Trump Turnberry resort, which he bought back in 2014. Ahead of that, a large number of police and military personnel have been spotted searching the grounds at the venue in South Ayrshire. Mr Trump is staying at Turnberry for the start of a five-day private visit to Scotland which will see him have talks with both UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Scottish First Minister John Swinney. A meeting has also been scheduled for him to talk about trade with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday. With no talks apparently scheduled for Saturday, the President – a well-known golf enthusiast – appears to be free to play the famous Turnberry course. However, protests have been planned, with opponents of Mr Trump expected to gather in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen later on Saturday, with the Stop Trump coalition planning what it has described as being a 'festival of resistance'. As well as visiting Trump Turnberry, Mr Trump will head to Aberdeenshire later in his visit and is expected to open a second course at his golf resort in Balmedie. As he landed in Ayrshire on Friday, the President took questions from journalists, telling Europe to 'get your act together' on immigration, which he said was 'killing' the continent. He also praised Sir Keir, who he described as a 'good man', but added that the UK Prime Minister is 'slightly more liberal than I am'. Saturday will be the first real test of Police Scotland during the visit as it looks to control the demonstrations in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, as well as any which spring up near to the president's course. The force has asked for support from others around the UK to bolster officer numbers, with both organisations representing senior officers and the rank-and-file claiming there is likely to be an impact on policing across the country for the duration of the visit. Before the visit started, Mr Swinney appealed to Scots to protest 'peacefully and within the law'.

Major Primark shake-up as Scots store among first to launch
Major Primark shake-up as Scots store among first to launch

The Irish Sun

time25-07-2025

  • The Irish Sun

Major Primark shake-up as Scots store among first to launch

PRIMARK have made a major new change - and a Scots store is among the first to launch. For the last year, the store has been working with activist Sophie Morgan. 2 The new mannequins are in store now 2 Sophie Morgan says it's been 15 years in the making The campaigner is behind wheelchair mannequins, which she created back in 2009. Sophie approached Primark with a partnership plan and now the seated mannequin is appearing in 20 stores, with the intention to expand across more stores over time. One of those is Primark on Edinburgh's Princes Street. A staff member said: "Today we have launched our new 'Sophie' mannequins. READ MORE IN FABULOUS "We have been working on bringing diversity into our mannequin range to be more inclusive and representative of our customers. "Working together with Sophie Morgan we now have a wheelchair user mannequin pose to celebrate diversity through inclusion." In line with Primark's pledge to make it a more accessible place to work and shop, the seated mannequin joins the existing range of Primark's fuller figure mannequins and wider skin tone ranges for lingerie and nightwear. The 'Sophie' will be used in store to highlight Primark's adaptive range - the first permanent high street men's and women's collection for disabled people. Most read in Fabulous Sophie said: "This project is incredibly close to my heart - it's been over 15 years in the making. Major Primark shake-up as Scots store among first to launch "To be able to go into a major high street retailer like Primark and see a mannequin that looks like me is deeply emotional. 'Sophie' represents more than just a mannequin; she's a symbol of progress and visibility. "Working with Primark to create her has been a dream, every detail, from her posture to the design of the wheelchair as a natural extension of the body has been carefully considered to reflect the real lives of wheelchair users. "I can't wait to see how people respond to her.' And fashion fans are loving the new addition. One said: "This is incredible, as a wheelchair user the feeling of not being seen is huge. This really is a massive step forward it's a shame it's taken so long to represent us." Another said: "This is so freaking incredible, Sophie! You continue to change the world."

Revolut confirm new Irish jobs amid major recruitment drive for over 400 roles across several sectors
Revolut confirm new Irish jobs amid major recruitment drive for over 400 roles across several sectors

The Irish Sun

time21-07-2025

  • The Irish Sun

Revolut confirm new Irish jobs amid major recruitment drive for over 400 roles across several sectors

REVOLUT is set to hire a number Irish employees as part of a new recruitment campaign. The company aims create over 400 new jobs in Western Europe, ahead of plans to establish a new headquarters in Paris. The list of countries the bank is targeting includes Ireland, The roles will primarily encompass risk management, compliance, cyber security and other critical roles. At least 200 of the The company expects to have over 1,500 employees in Western MOST READ IN IRISH NEWS CEO of Revolut Western Europe, Béatrice Cossa-Dumurgier, commented: "We're already hard at work building our new Western Europe headquarters in Paris — and that comes with a major hiring push across the region. "From France to Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Ireland, we plan to hire over 400 people by 2029 to strengthen our local operations." She added: "Western Europe is home to a massive pool of talent, and we intend to make the most of it — attracting top professionals eager to shape the future of banking and build the next generation of financial services." Founded in 2015, Revolut began in the UK as a small fintech offering Most read in Irish News The company now boasts more than 60 million customers and 13,000 employees worldwide. Now it is looking to expand its operations in an effort to "serve customers in the region". Nearly all staff axed as major Scots manufacturer goes bust Revolut says this 'ramp-up' will begin with around 80 new hires in the first year and scale over 400 direct roles by the end of the decade. And that these efforts are taking place in parallel with the company's ongoing application for a banking licence in France. Currently, the company is set to invest around €1 billion in France over the next three years. The move represents a significant commitment by the company to its future business and operations on the continent, saying it shows "confidence in both France and Europe's business environment" and that it "complements Revolut's existing European HQ in Lithuania". 1 The company will be hiring employees from Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain, for mostly risk management, compliance, and cyber security roles Credit: Revolut

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store