COUNCILLORS have been blunt in criticising senior managers of Southern Water for allowing the Solent to be regularly polluted with raw sewage.

The private company was fined a record £90 million earlier this month after admitting thousands of illegal discharges of sewage in Hampshire, Kent and Sussex.

The pollution has contributed to the rise in algal bloom in the Solent and led to the introduction of action to combat the rise in nitrates.

Winchester City Council Cabinet discussed action that it is taking to achieve nitrate neutrality and there was widespread anger at Southern Water.

Cllr Martin Tod said: "Personally speaking, given that Southern Water were literally dumping crap in the Solent I think they should pick up the tab for the whole thing. But unfortunately we are not able to decide that here but have to leave it to the people higher up the chain to make that decision.

"It feels like an insane world when the people responsible for processing our water are not doing so and agriculture, housing, and construction and everybody are running round in circles trying to fix things while frankly unethical near-criminal polluters are allowed to carry on unchanged."

Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith said he was surprised that given "management responsible for cynical neglect of their duty in pursuit of profit... some directors of Southern Water are not behind bars."