A NEW Liberal Democrat plan for 'sewage-busters' aims to crack down on water pollution across Winchester and the Meon Valley.

The party has pledged £10m per year to deliver new water quality inspectors, as part of an ambition to recruit at least 100 new ‘sewage-busters’. 

The new water quality inspectors would work for the party’s new water regulator, the Clean Water Authority, giving it the capacity to deliver unannounced inspections.

Under the party’s plans, the water regulator Ofwat would be replaced with a new Clean Water Authority which would take on relevant powers to inspect and clean up waterways in England from the Environment Agency. 

Danny Chambers, Lib Dem candidate for Winchester, said this “ambitious plan of oversight” would save waterways in Hampshire.

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He added: “It is a scandal that the Conservative party has allowed water firms to mark their own homework and waterways across Hampshire have suffered as a result.

“A new wave of sewage busters will ensure no water company gets away with polluting our treasured rivers, lakes and coastlines.

“Liberal Democrats will hire new sewage-busting inspectors to clamp down on sewage dumping and put a stop to this dreadful scandal.”

In Winchester the candidates in alphabetical order, are: Independent, Chris Barfoot; Liberal Democrat, Danny Chambers; Independent, Kevin D'Cruze; Social Democratic Party, Andrew Davis;  Labour, Hannah Dawson; Conservative, Flick Drummond; Green, Lorraine Estelle;  Hampshire Independents, Andy Liming; and Reform UK, Sean Whelan.