I've just been reading about the large fine (90 million pounds) imposed on 'Southern Water', the privately owned Utility. which has as its remit the provision of water and sewage services to much of southern England.
Over a period of several years this company (owned ultimately by a bunch of nameless bankers, financiers etc) dumped billions of litres of raw, untreated sewage directly into the sea around England's coastline.
This is the part that makes me seethe:
'In mitigation, Southern, which pleaded guilty to all 51 counts, argued the sewage dumping had not been deliberate.'
How in the name of all that is holy can such crimes be committed accidentally?
Secondly, even though the fine was huge, it was still less than they would have paid had they done everything by the book
The dumping afforded the company “considerable financial advantage” because it avoided penalties of more than £90m,
Has the company's licence been revoked? Not in a million years. They have too many friends in high places for that to happen.
