The Environment Agency has announced there will be 30 extra officers in the East of England who will focus on investigating pollution incidents by the water industry.

A Southend Water Summit held in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, was told the increase in officers would mean ten times the number of inspections.

Anglian Water has been prosecuted and fined last year for discharging sewage into waterways and sea. The summit heard the company had been prosecuted five times since 2022.

Anglian Water said it was investing £104m into improving the sewage system and reducing storm discharges in Southend.