Rotten rivers: why is raw sewage dumping still allowed?

The equivalent of more than 1200 years’ worth of raw sewage has been dumped into Britain’s rivers, lakes and seas since 2016 according to opposition MPs who’ve been trying to get a bill through the Commons to bring an end to it.

But Labour couldn’t convince Conservatives to back their proposals to impose automatic fines on water companies which dump sewage.

Instead the Government said they would bring forward stronger regulations.