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Dirty Business S01E03 (2026) [Full Movie] [Full Story]Full EP - Full
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00:04I'm not sure if I'm going to go in.
00:06Really?
00:07Yeah.
00:08You'll be fine.
00:09Be cold.
00:10You're drowning.
00:14Or maybe you try it for a bit.
00:15I'll go first.
00:18Looking good.
00:19Looking rough.
00:21Scaredy cat.
00:23I'm not sure.
00:24Surprise, you?
00:49No prints.
00:53Nothing taken or disturbed?
00:57No.
00:58Unfortunately, the blood sample wasn't big enough for the lab to get a full DNA read.
01:05It's disappointing.
01:08Well, I really thought there was enough for a full sample.
01:12Apparently not.
01:14What about the glove mark?
01:15Not enough resolution for them to do anything with.
01:18You know, I took photos of the house right after the break-in.
01:23And nothing was touched?
01:25No.
01:26Or they put everything back in its place, which is what you would do if you were installing a listening
01:31device.
01:31I've applied for warrants to do exactly that.
01:34You're a copper?
01:34Serious Crime Squad.
01:36Covert Surveillance Unit.
01:37Counter-corruption.
01:38I'm innocent.
01:41Well, I mean, as you know, we've done a couple of sweeps.
01:49Nothing.
01:50No, me neither.
01:53So, there's not much more we can do.
01:57Okay.
02:07No.
02:13No.
02:23I don't know.
02:59You've worked in surveillance, haven't you, for years,
03:01so you're telling me you can't actually see if they've got a new computer or not?
03:06No.
03:08I've done what I can to check, but you just can't tell now.
03:12You see, there's this incognito spyware runs a keylogger in the background,
03:16which means they can record every key you press, every mouse click.
03:19They can see the emails you write, your messages, your passwords, etc., everything.
03:24But they build it so you don't know it's there.
03:26What did the police say?
03:29Well, an officer came out, he took a sample of the blood,
03:32there was some blood on the handle downstairs,
03:36and he thought he could see a disposable glove mark in it,
03:38which means that whoever did it wants to make sure they're untraceable.
03:42He did think they could find a DNA result, and then nothing, nothing happens.
03:47What do you think this is, sir?
03:49Anything they can find to discredit us.
03:52Something that would look good on the cover of the Daily Mail, for example.
03:56I mean, I can't think of anything that, you know, I mean, I'm...
03:59Well, you know what it is.
04:01What's that?
04:03It's the free jazz.
04:05If that gets out, we're fucked.
04:06Oh, fuck off.
04:08But who would want to discredit us, sir?
04:10I don't know.
04:11Could be a burglar who just got scared and legged it.
04:14Yeah, well, or he could have just seen Charlie's Hawaiian Cushions.
04:18Don't say that in front of Joe.
04:20I'm not going to do that, am I?
04:21I want to hang on to my balls.
04:24You know, the other day when this happened,
04:26the first thing I did was pick up the phone to you.
04:31Yeah, no, I did see it, yeah.
04:33You probably saw it.
04:34I hung up.
04:35Just to...
04:36Yeah, I just think that what we need now is we need...
04:41We need a whistleblower, don't we?
04:43And we need someone from inside the agency.
04:47And high up.
04:47From the top.
04:51Eileen said that we must be making a difference.
04:53Did she?
04:54Yeah, she did.
04:55So, come on, let's...
04:57That's the point, isn't it?
04:58Yeah, we are.
04:58There's no point doing this unless we make a difference.
05:00No, let's keep going.
05:01Let's keep going.
05:02And let's find that fucking whistleblower.
05:04Right.
05:04June 2019, Sir James Bevan Environment Agency.
05:10Dear Sir James, I'm writing to your office as I'm sure you will know where to direct the question.
05:14October 2019, dear Sir James, I wrote to you to raise concerns about a serious integrity issue involving the agency.
05:23Dear Sir James, 34 days have now passed since I sent you evidence.
05:27I've given up expecting a reply from you.
05:31Dear Ashley, I am in the receipt of your email to Sir James.
05:41Would you mind coming to our office?
05:42Yes, and would the 19th suit?
05:54Well, is Sir James not coming?
05:57I'm afraid not.
05:58No, Sir James wouldn't routinely attend meetings at this kind of level.
06:02I'd hoped he'd be here.
06:04He's time, Paul.
06:06He's aware of your work.
06:07Well, we're trying to find out what you're going to do about the illegal sewage overflow at Boughton.
06:14The combined storm overflow, yeah.
06:16The combined storm overflow at Burton has shown no detectable effects on the water quality.
06:21The water quality is stable and not deteriorating.
06:24I mean, our data shows very clearly that we have the best quality water since the Industrial Revolution.
06:31The water's turned brown.
06:32Yeah.
06:33It's turned so brown that when it joins the Thames at Newbridge, it makes the Thames look like a Swiss
06:38mountain stream.
06:41The water is brown in places, but that's a natural phenomenon.
06:45It's caused by a geological fault.
06:47A geological fault?
06:48Yeah.
06:49Sorry, a geological fault is millions of years old.
06:53We remember when the water was clear.
06:55No one remembers the good old days before the geological fault.
06:58In the last 12 months since we installed sensors, there's been no evidence of pollution.
07:03Well, that's because you've installed the monitors upstream from the sewage pipes.
07:06Now, is that incompetence or an attempt to cover up a scandal?
07:10No.
07:10No.
07:10The agency would never position a monitor to achieve a particular reading.
07:14We are working extremely hard to transform the environment.
07:16We've improved and protected something like, I think it's 15,000 kilometers of river.
07:21It's like, but you've had 92 complaints from the general public about sewage pollution, and that's just the wind rush.
07:29I've actually got the breakdown here.
07:32Yeah, yeah.
07:35In 36 of those cases, there was no offense, and in 39, there was insufficient evidence, and in 6, we
07:45were unable to identify the offender.
07:48Oh, what do you mean you couldn't identify the offenders? Why can't you identify the offenders?
07:52There's seven sewage works along the wind rush. They're all run by Thames Water.
07:56I mean, you say you've got insufficient evidence, but we keep giving you the evidence.
08:00All we ever do is give you the evidence, and all we get back is it's under investigation.
08:04And then nothing, nothing, nothing ever happens.
08:08In exceptional circumstances, for example, after heavy rain, the sewage systems are allowed to overflow.
08:15No, no, no, no. You see, that's not the law.
08:18The law is that in all normal climatic conditions, including heavy rainfall, the water companies have to treat the sewage.
08:25They have to make it safe before they put it back into the river.
08:29The law is a grey area.
08:30No, no, it's not a grey area with respect. It's the law.
08:33Oh, sorry, can I? Sorry. Thames is their own data. It shows they stopped treating sewage at Northridge for more
08:45than three months.
08:46Now, they told us that their sensors had broken down, but we think they're lying.
08:54They're lying. So why would they do that? Why would they lie to you?
09:17We're attacking regulators.
09:22Sorry?
09:24The regulation isn't real.
09:27The government want us to look like a regulator, but they won't let us do our job.
09:32Okay.
09:34When Cameron and Trust gutted the agency, we went from regulating the industry to doing its bidding.
09:41Do you think we could take your number?
09:43Look, just keep going.
09:47This is going to be the first government in modern history that at the end of its parliamentary term
09:53has less regulation in place than there was at the beginning.
09:56We've now identified those 3,000 regulations that we're going to scrap.
10:00Let's reduce the amount and the burden of regulation strangled by rent-take.
10:04Cut back the health and safety monster.
10:06Cut guidance by 80% and we reduce farm inspections by 34,000 every year.
10:12Regulations will...
10:13None of my ministers could introduce a regulation unless they abolished one at the same time.
10:17Massively reduce the number of rules, laws and regulations
10:21that frankly treat all of you by idiots.
10:27So, really, it's about stripping out as much unnecessary regulation as possible
10:33and taking responsibility for climate change
10:36and saying what more can we do to get us to net zero.
10:41As you know, this is a passion project for Sir James,
10:44who feels that we can bring our car usage down by 70%.
10:51Yeah.
10:52It's, yeah.
10:53So, from next month, we're going to be taking the bold decision
10:58to cut back decisively on our car leases.
11:04Yeah.
11:05Come on, sorry.
11:07Just like to clarify what you're going to get rid of our cars.
11:12So, it's about reducing the agency's carbon footprint.
11:16Just getting that, yeah.
11:18Go ahead, Hannah.
11:19The cars that we drive to the inspections in.
11:23Right, yeah.
11:24Yeah, so self-monitoring and a more desk-based regulation
11:28is really, it's really helping us move the needle on climate change.
11:35But the remaining inspections...
11:39Well, yeah.
11:40How do we get to those without a car?
11:43Yeah.
11:45It's a great question.
11:46It's a really great question.
11:48And we'll take that forward to the next discussion meeting.
11:51Thanks, Hannah.
11:53Yeah, lovely. Thanks, everyone.
11:54Not easy news to break, is it?
11:56Yeah, surprise, surprise.
11:57Ebby's got something to say.
11:58I know, I know.
11:59But my car...
11:59Everyone's driving cars.
12:00We're the environment agency.
12:02Absolutely.
12:02What's wrong with the train?
12:03I'll keep mine, I think.
12:04So, yeah.
12:05Mmm, coffee.
12:06How do I get a coffee?
12:09Does anybody know what we're looking at?
12:12Anybody?
12:14Okay.
12:15Could you tell me what the reactants are?
12:17So, if you move your head even slightly,
12:19the vertical gets more intense?
12:21Yeah.
12:21And the attack's happening maybe twice a week?
12:24About that, yeah.
12:29The good news is that you don't have cancer.
12:32We actually think it's Meniere's.
12:34It's a disease of the inner ear.
12:36The main symptom is acute vertical episodes,
12:40vomiting,
12:41tinnitus.
12:43It's a pretty neat fit with your presentation.
12:48They were dumping sewage in the water the last time before I got sick.
12:54Right.
12:55You know that from...
12:57You know that from...
12:57The Suffers Against Sewage app.
12:59Okay.
13:01Might that be...
13:02The causes are unclear.
13:04It's post-viral.
13:05This often starts with an ear infection.
13:07You know, they're common in surfers.
13:08Yeah.
13:09Every surfer I know.
13:10Oh, my God!
13:11Oh!
13:12What?
13:13This is a chronic condition.
13:16I'm afraid there's no cure.
13:19I'm afraid there's no cure.
13:31It's a chronic condition.
13:34It's a chronic condition.
13:36The pain...
13:36It's a chronic condition.
13:38Should we leave the table away?
13:40It's a disease?
13:42Just hold his back.
13:44Just so he's in a back.
14:08So, by ending on-site inspections into categories three and four,
14:13no or low-impact pollution events, and doubling down on the more serious Category 1 and 2 incidents,
14:22we think we can turn ourselves into a more effective fighting unit.
14:26Yeah. So, from today, we are ending on-site inspections for CATs three and four.
14:32Any questions?
14:34Well, yeah.
14:37A Category 3 incident can be two kilometres of sewage.
14:42Mm.
14:43We want you to not inspect, to not spend time on these incidents.
14:49Except that since the water companies have been self-reporting,
14:54they almost always only report Category 3s and 4s.
14:59So, they're not actually reporting serious incidents.
15:01And so, if the water companies are only reporting Category 3s and 4s,
15:05and we're no longer allowed to investigate...
15:08So, what exactly are we going to be doing?
15:11I've told the government, you get the regulation you pay for.
15:14We no longer have the money to go on inspecting low-grade pollution events.
15:19We need you to shut down these reports as unsubstantiated or to silently pass them
15:24and to not report them as pollution incidents.
15:27Is that clear?
15:33Yeah.
15:34Yeah, thank you.
15:34Thanks, everyone.
15:35You're on with your day?
15:36Yeah.
15:40I'm just a bit.
15:47We had to fuck.
15:48Fucking wankers.
15:50How are you going to get to fucking work?
15:52Fuck no.
15:55Horseback.
16:03What time did he call you?
16:05I passed ten last night.
16:08He said he couldn't miss it.
16:20Oh, my God, look at him.
16:27Get some shots and we'll call the agency on the way back.
17:01What time did he call you?
17:27What time did he call you?
17:51What time did he call you?
17:52Oh.
17:52Are you driving into work tomorrow?
17:54Oh, yeah, obviously.
17:55How else would I get in?
17:56Well, can I borrow your car at lunchtime?
18:00What for?
18:02Someone keeps calling up and complaining about the same incident.
18:06It's near the bridge at Hawke Rise, so I'm going to go and take a look.
18:11Okay.
18:12A bit of freelance investigation.
18:14A bit of freelance.
18:15And also, he needs to be off the books.
18:17And I need you to promise me not to tell Sophie.
18:21I can't tell Sophie.
18:22You can't tell Sophie?
18:23I want to tell Sophie.
18:25I mean, who's to say anything?
18:27I mean, who's in all water, does Sophie say anything.
18:53hi hi is that um is that Justine hi Justine um it's it's Hannah from the
19:00Environment Agency listen it's about the the pollution event at Hawkrise it
19:10came through the system at a duration of 1.34 hours and and I'm here now and it's
19:16still going yeah yeah I'm yeah I'm here now yeah the CSO's still discharging
19:25untreated sewage I mean there's there's a section of the river that is covered
19:28over with dried sewage I mean there's dead fish you can see them from the
19:33footpath I mean you're gonna get more complaints you need to sort this can you
19:43prepare and cook a simple meal unaided yeah but not when I'm having an attack
19:51then I can't do anything I can't I can't move can you eat and drink unaided yeah
19:57but again not when I'm having an attack and I've been getting the attacks well
20:03every few days for the past six months but if you're not having one of your
20:06attacks can you eat and drink unaided yeah but yes or no it's fine yes can you
20:16dress and undress unaided
20:20it's the same answer moving on to the mobility section of this assessment can
20:26you plan and follow a journey unaided yeah but not when I'm having an attack
20:33stand and move for 200 meters no one I'm having an attack you know can you move
20:40around walk for 200 of course I can but not when I'm having an attack okay thank
20:45you mr. Santa your total score for the daily living part of the assessment is
20:49zero points your total score for the mobility section is zero points when
20:55you're not having an attack you're able to do all the tasks I asked you about
20:58that's that's the thing with my condition is that sometimes I can do these
21:03things and other times I can't and when I can't I can't I can't award you a
21:07personal independence payment I don't know what to do if you need further
21:10guidance about how to appeal you can use the web chat to get some help if you
21:16cannot access the web chat you can contact the benefits appeal helpline on 0300
21:22one six
21:31Hannah sorry to scare you um do you have a second can I have a word of course yeah
21:37okay so I've just I just got off the phone to Justine Wright Phillips at the
21:41water company yeah yeah she said she said you called her yeah I yeah yeah you did
21:48okay she said she called her from the site well I saw that it been logged on
21:53the system for the fifth time and people kept calling up complaining and
21:56nobody was doing anything about it so we don't have the revenue to be
22:00investigating category three it's not a category three Sophie the river is dried
22:07over with excrement you can see it from that's that's what I wanted to talk to
22:11you about so Justine says that the dispersal rate in that area is really high is
22:16is it yeah she says she says there's like a strong current and a high
22:19dispersal the overflow pipe has been discharging for over 36 hours and it is
22:24still going all right that's treated that is the water company's
22:27responsibility to report to us you know this okay and Justine says that
22:33actually really the because of the high dispersal rate that it should come down
22:38to a category four be a category four yes right mm-hmm so no impact on the
22:47environment no action needed yes mm-hmm oh you want me to change it on the system
22:58could you could you yeah okay thanks so much thank you that's great lovely
23:12so you see now well we're doing yeah of course you're joking you're not joking you know
23:17shriek no what's that strategic review of incident charges yeah it's like what we
23:24charge the clients for permits so we don't have clients cheryl we're an
23:28environment agency okay yes sorry yes we don't have clients but so james has put the
23:34prices up yeah and i'm talking like up up big time well he's charging the water
23:40companies more yep well they must surely they've gone down to the government like
23:45lobbying them going mad jg and the charges are taken down no not a peep not a not a
23:51piece paying it we've basically had such a high revenue spike yeah but we are on
24:00our way to becoming a client funded regulator so hold on one minute this is
24:05going a bit so you're saying that the water companies are funding the
24:11environment agency that's what you're really you see the you see the issues there you can't be
24:16serious a client funded regulator amazing isn't it how can that even be a thing
24:25it's a thing well hold on because literally the other day sir james said that you get the
24:31regulation that you pay for yeah that we haven't got the money to do the investigations that we used to
24:36do nobody's paying for them okay that's your area isn't it i mean all i know is that we have
24:44got
24:44more cash than we've ever had before just making conversation
24:51i've got the job postman no yeah did you yeah
24:57yeah really good timing uh-huh because i did two pregnancy tests this morning what and yeah i'm
25:07pregnant what yeah bring that no yeah yeah i sort of just had a funny feeling and then
25:15yeah did one test two lines and then i did another test and it set two lines and so and
25:21i was like
25:23fuck
25:33i'm susan davey i am the ceo of southwest water basically the wet weather events
25:39overflow put a strain on our victorian networks and unfortunately we have a victorian sewage
25:46system which we have inherited and that means things do go wrong
25:51just say victorian sewage network 12 12 12 what's 12 12 of the sewage system is victorian
26:00what do they tell you that the whole of the system was victorian so that meant that
26:06the investment would be so high that it'd be impossible to to actually fix it all
26:11bollocks shall i tell you what stopped it when privatization came in they just stopped spending
26:17after the war they kept upgrading then after privatization came in they just stopped not just
26:24thames all of them six percent new plants is privatization six percent six percent is that all
26:31you know it'd be good if we could maybe come and visit one of the works
26:35i don't know about that well i'll have to see but that's honestly because i even just doing this
26:40i feel a bit nervous in london stadium that's not a proper stadium massive upton park now that was
26:47a proper stadium babe london stadium's too big you need fucking binoculars do you know what i mean
26:51yeah sorry pete did you want to see an edm oh yes yes that's right well remembered so this is
26:58an event
26:58duration monitor now we fitted one of these on every sewage pipe in england in 2012 all right the code
27:05coalition government they ordered all the water companies to record how much time they spend
27:10dumping raw sewage these little units they measure how much poo goes into the river by hours management
27:16have been dragging their feet for eight years now but we're finally getting most of it in now and the
27:22agency they they could publish the numbers they have to by law i mean they're not going to like it
27:27but
27:27tough shit edm's yes uh so we are finalizing plans for the statutory publication of the edm numbers
27:44as you know there have been some technical delays but it looks like they're almost ready
27:51and uh they're going to come as a bit of a shock uh the data is going to show that
28:00the water companies
28:00discharged raw sewage uh 400 000 times in 2020 that's 1100 times a day for a total of 3.1
28:13million hours
28:17it's a bit of a shocker can i just say that um since operator self-monitoring we've had to rely
28:24on the
28:25water companies to report back to us yeah i think that the key here is that this doesn't get framed
28:30as a failure of regulation that is that is that would be quite wrong and uh and i think managing
28:37comms on this is going to be key and we are working actively with the water companies to uh to
28:43to to
28:44bear down on the problem yeah and that's 1100 criminal offenses a day well that's actually that's
28:52debatable because that depends on the terms of the permits and the circumstances around each spill
28:57yeah and we know the legislation permits discharging after heavy rainfall and so no no it doesn't
29:03sorry hannah the law doesn't say that you can just dump sewage after heavy rain it says that in all
29:10normal climatic and seasonal circumstances the water companies have to treat the sewage
29:16not just dump it but it's not the agency's job to adjudicate legal matters i mean this is actually a
29:21matter for the courts no no no this is this is our job it's our job to enforce the law
29:28yeah that's what
29:29we're here to do can you um you did you want to no no you you finish off here sophie
29:40thank you
29:43so we've identified the problem and now we work on the problem which is reframing and owning the
29:47narrative yeah we we don't want this to get misconstrued as some sort of failure on our part
29:51because it just isn't thanks thanks so much thanks cool lovely thanks thanks so much by the way um
30:02so i've heard you're going to give evidence in parliament yes yes amazing yeah i think you're bad
30:09what does that mean thinking about it he's uh he's nervous no i'm not nervous he's nervous no it's not
30:15but i'm nervous i want to do it it's just it's difficult don't don't worry about it i'll do yeah
30:21we're counting on you we are really counting on you and you can explain it in the scientific way
30:25you're going to come across brilliantly they're going to believe you mate well it it's it's not
30:30really as simple as that i mean the boys from ogden called me earlier right they told me that they
30:35dumped two billion liters of sewage in the thames over two days environment agency haven't got a scooby
30:42did they send you the data i've got the data yeah can you send that to us i will send
30:46it to you
30:46we're not going to let you down please you could do this come on pete you're a legend mate come
30:53on
31:04we now have the lowest number of serious pollution incidents from water companies that we have yet
31:10recorded more water companies are now at the highest level of performance what we call
31:17four star performance i mean we now have the lowest number of serious pollution incidents from water
31:23companies that we have yet recorded
31:25and we have the lowest number of serious pollution incidents from water companies that we have
31:55at the agency. I investigate sewage pollution.
32:01When I first joined, it wasn't a job to get rich on.
32:07I could see I was making a difference.
32:12Corporations want to make money.
32:14We make sure that they don't poison the rivers doing it.
32:16We could investigate, prosecute, whatever it took.
32:22But then they told the companies that they could
32:25regulate themselves.
32:27That's a praise of self-monitoring.
32:29Exactly.
32:31Then came the Cameron cuts, then the trust cuts.
32:35They laid off investigators, slashed prosecutions.
32:39I mean, they even took our cars off of us so we couldn't visit pollution sites.
32:42So all these cuts meant you couldn't do your job properly?
32:46That's not it.
32:49In 2021, Sir James hiked the prices the water companies paid
32:54for their permits.
32:55It was called charge-funded regulation.
32:58We get 96 million from the government.
33:01We are now pulling in 411 million from charges.
33:06All these cuts, they're just a smokescreen.
33:10We're swimming in cash.
33:13I am doing this because I know that it is wrong.
33:16And it has ruined my whole working life.
33:23Good luck.
33:37Right.
33:41Fucking hell.
33:42What should we do?
33:43Well, first we read them.
33:46And then I think we should call some journalists.
33:50The Environment Agency has refused to comment on whether agency directors
33:55currently hold shares in UK water companies.
33:58The agency claimed it would break data protection laws
34:02if it disclosed the information.
34:04Environment agency chiefs secretly held a series of private dinners
34:07with water company bosses at the Royal Automobile Club in central London.
34:11Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act
34:14showed the meetings were held to discuss how to quell public anger over sewage.
34:19As the sewage scandal deepens,
34:21Environment Agency CEO Sir James Bevan
34:24has been called to give evidence to a parliamentary committee.
34:27Well, we need to talk about what we say in public
34:29and the responsibilities we have.
34:33You have a duty not to openly criticise
34:36or discredit the organisation
34:38in the media or on social media
34:42or to disclose confidential information
34:46to anyone not authorised to receive it.
34:51If your comments, inside or outside work,
34:54impact on the agency's reputation
34:55by making derogatory comments about the organisation
34:58or your managers
35:00or you make comments that bring the organisation into disrepute,
35:04you may be subject to disciplinary action.
35:08and in more serious cases,
35:11dismissal.
35:25I don't think I want to do this.
35:30You'll be fine.
35:32Need the toilet?
35:34I'm all right.
35:35I need a bloody toilet.
35:37Do you want a pie?
35:38What does that mean?
35:43Well, my garden is an island
35:47which the Windrush wraps around.
35:52I've watched it closely for 18 years
35:55and I watched the water turn brown.
35:58I led a team of scientists
36:00using a machine learning analysis
36:03of two sewage treatment works
36:05run by Tentwater.
36:07One of those works,
36:09the Environment Agency said
36:11over 10 years
36:12that only two pollution incidents
36:15have been reported.
36:16Our machine learning analysis
36:20it showed hundreds of illegal spills.
36:26More than 300 lasted 24 hours
36:29and some longer than 10 days
36:34and some for a month.
36:37Have you shown this evidence
36:38to the Environment Agency?
36:40Well, we are.
36:41I've shown the evidence many times.
36:43What usually happens
36:45is that they say
36:48that they show a sign of interest
36:50but then nothing happens.
36:54We work very closely
36:56with Professor Hammond
36:58of Windrush
36:59Against Sewage Pollution.
37:01We have a regular
37:03and very fruitful dialogue with him.
37:05You've worked closely
37:07with Professor Hammond.
37:09He and Ashley Smith
37:11sent you at least 13
37:13emails detailing evidence
37:15of illegal sewage dumping.
37:17He published five evidence reports
37:20documenting water company criminality,
37:23all of which were sent to you
37:24or your senior colleagues.
37:26They invited you to come
37:28and look at the river in 2019
37:31and the following year
37:33sent you an email with the heading
37:35Environment Agency
37:37Complicit in Law Breaking.
37:44They never heard back.
37:46You never once replied
37:48in five years.
37:51How did you manage
37:52to work so closely with Professor Hammond
37:54when you never once spoke to him?
37:56At the Thames Water
37:57Mogden Treatment Works
37:59there was a spill
38:01of 240 Olympic swimming pools
38:06of sewage
38:06in a single day.
38:08The existing monitoring
38:09failed to pick that up.
38:11Now why was that?
38:13There will always be times
38:15when something happens.
38:17Usually,
38:18accidentally.
38:19But if we find
38:20that a water company
38:22has breached its permit,
38:24we will take
38:25appropriate action.
38:26Does appropriate action
38:28include prosecuting
38:29water company executives?
38:30Prosecution is a very high bar,
38:32but...
38:34Where we think
38:35that's appropriate,
38:37we wouldn't hesitate.
38:38Did you prosecute
38:39in this case?
38:40No.
38:42Have you ever prosecuted
38:43any water company executives?
38:45No, but
38:46if we thought
38:48the evidence warranted it,
38:50we wouldn't hesitate.
38:52Last year,
38:54you told this committee
38:54that you became aware
38:55of sewage dumping
38:56in May 2021.
38:58Yes.
38:59But three weeks after that,
39:01you told the committee
39:02that the water companies
39:03were improving
39:03and that more of them
39:04were getting
39:06four out of four stars.
39:08Why were you telling
39:09the committee that
39:10the water companies
39:11were doing
39:12a four-star job?
39:15Well, you've
39:17quoted everything I said.
39:19I think I...
39:20I stand by
39:21everything I said.
39:23I think
39:24you'll find them
39:26mutually consistent.
39:28The agency's job
39:30is to make sure
39:31the water companies
39:32obey the criminal law,
39:34but it doesn't do it,
39:35and the water companies
39:36do whatever they want.
39:37The alleged crimes
39:39of their directors
39:40are never prosecuted.
39:43They've built criminality
39:45into their business models
39:47because pollution
39:47is highly profitable
39:49and repeat offending
39:50has no consequences.
39:52Therefore,
39:54in the light
39:55of the remarkable absence
39:56of any counter-corruption measures,
39:58we demand an investigation
40:00into the Environment Agency.
40:05The key test for me
40:06on regulation...
40:07Less regulation.
40:08Is it something
40:09that enables the builders,
40:10not the blockers?
40:11Cut guidance by 80%.
40:13We've also got to look
40:14at regulation.
40:15Regulations will go...
40:17And where it is needlessly
40:18holding back the investment...
40:19Reduce the amount
40:20and the burden of regulation...
40:22Rip up the bureaucracy
40:23that blocks investment.
40:25Northumbria and Water
40:25recorded 30.1 spills
40:27per overflow
40:28over the course of 2023.
40:31280,000 hours
40:33and change in total.
40:35The chief executive,
40:37Heidi Mottram,
40:38received a bonus
40:38of £234,000 that year.
40:43Why did you take
40:44for all tickets
40:45from the parent company?
40:47Well, I didn't.
40:49OK.
40:50C.K. Hutchins Holdings
40:51owns 75%
40:52of Chung Kong
40:53Infrastructure Holdings,
40:54the owner of Northumbria and Water.
40:56And you declared
40:57£2,000 in football tickets
40:58and hospitality.
41:00On that occasion,
41:01there was nobody
41:02from a water company
41:03that was involved
41:04in offering those tickets.
41:06There was nobody
41:06from a water company
41:07at that event.
41:08I wouldn't have known that.
41:10They weren't present.
41:10You should have known that.
41:11You said that these sort of people
41:13should potentially be in the dock
41:14if they have been found
41:16to break the rules.
41:17You took £2,000
41:19in tickets and hospitality
41:20for a football match
41:21from bosses linked
41:22to that company
41:23that polluted that water.
41:24Why should people
41:25in Northumbria
41:26think that you're
41:27fit for your job?
41:28Well, I certainly
41:28wouldn't have known that.
41:29And judge me by what I do.
41:30Why not?
41:30Judge me by what I do.
41:44Environment Minister Steve Reid
41:46is pursuing legal action
41:48against a group of anglers
41:49trying to restore
41:50the ecosystem
41:51of their local river
41:52on the grounds
41:54that cleaning up
41:55individual rivers
41:56is administratively
41:58unworkable.
41:59Concerns have been raised
42:00about the number
42:01of leading labour figures
42:02with links to lobbying firms
42:03working for water companies.
42:05Among the invited guests
42:06at the government's
42:07International Investment Summit
42:09was Macquarie Bank.
42:10Described as the
42:12vampire kangaroo
42:13by critics,
42:14Macquarie presided
42:15over the near collapse
42:16of Thames Water,
42:17leaving it £10 billion
42:18in debt
42:19after having illegally
42:20dumped billions
42:21of litres
42:22of raw sewage.
42:40Reuben?
42:47Reuben?
42:48I know I can't be
42:49left alone with her.
42:54Privatised water
42:55is a better deal
42:56than nationalised water.
42:58Come on,
42:59Flora.
42:59That the water
43:00privatisation,
43:01I believe,
43:02will go very successfully
43:03indeed,
43:04that will go
43:05very successfully
43:06indeed,
43:07and perhaps therefore
43:08we have better
43:08wait and see
43:09so that we can
43:10contemplate
43:11in the light
43:11of the fact.
43:13How did it come
43:14to this?
43:16How did it,
43:18how did it happen
43:19that England
43:21is the only place
43:22in the whole world
43:24whose water system
43:25is wholly privatised?
43:29That our seas
43:31and our rivers
43:32are full of shite?
43:35I just feel like
43:37we're trying
43:37to bring down
43:38England's biggest
43:40organised crime
43:42syndicate.
43:43I mean,
43:44they're not the mafia,
43:46these water companies.
43:47They're not a drugs cartel,
43:48but they do
43:49dump sewage
43:51a thousand times
43:52a day,
43:53and almost all
43:54of those
43:55are illegal.
43:57And the cash
43:58they've accumulated,
44:01£145 billion
44:02since privatisation,
44:05and they've got that
44:05because they seem
44:06to have built
44:07criminality
44:08into their business models.
44:11so they are like
44:13an organised crime syndicate.
44:16And the CEOs
44:17and the owners
44:18are like crime bosses.
44:21I mean,
44:21they don't murder people,
44:23obviously,
44:24they're not assassins.
44:28But me and Peter
44:29are sitting here
44:30waiting
44:30for these crime lords
44:33to put things right.
44:35And
44:37if we leave them
44:38to their own devices,
44:40they never will.
44:43They never will.
44:45We've put the things
44:47that we own
44:48and care about
44:50together,
44:51we've put them
44:52into the hands
44:53of financial speculators,
44:54whose job it is
44:55is just
44:56to make money.
44:58We need to put
44:59the people
45:00who care
45:00in charge.
45:41the people
45:59of
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