A LIB DEM politician said it was “shocking” that Conservative MPs in Somerset have voted against a “tough action on polluting water firms”.

The Lib Dem pointed out how Conservative MPs, including Rebecca Pow, voted against a new law that would have seen water companies in court for sewage spills.

Gideon Amos, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Taunton and Wellington, said: “It is shocking that Conservative MPs in our area have voted against this tough action on polluting water firms.

“This is a national scandal which has blighted our own community. Private companies responsible for pollution should have their day in court for environmental vandalism.

“This law would have delivered justice for swimmers, wildlife, and local rivers. Yet Conservative MPs shamelessly opposed. They simply don’t care about our environment and protecting swimmers.

“Our community needs a new MP who will actually get tough on water firms.

“At the next General Election, I will pledge to stand up for our environment and vote to get a grip on polluting companies.”

The vote in Parliament took place on the same day a BBC report found sewage had been illegally dumped in the UNESCO-protected Lake Windermere in the Lake District.

It also came in the week the River Tone in Taunton’s French Weir Park was granted Designated Bathing Water Status, which means the Environment Agency will start monitoring the water quality at the stretch of river running through the park.

The new law, opposed by Conservative MPs, would have created criminal offences for failing to meet pollution performance commitment levels, ensuring the polluting firms would go to court and face punishments including fines, the Lib Dem said.

A government spokesperson said: “These powers are unnecessary, they would simply duplicate powers already available to the Environment Agency and could therefore undermine the chances of successful prosecutions for individual pollution incidents.

“Ofwat already have an existing annual system of penalising underperformance through penalties, which ensures that money is righty returned to customers where companies underperform.

“This means that penalties and customer refunds can be applied each year, rather than every three years as the amendment proposes, with £193 million being returned to customers of 11 water companies in the 2024-25 financial year.”