Women Citizens Arrest Thames Water Executive

For immediate release

Rachel Whyte, who issued the citizen's arrest

A Citizens Arrest was made this morning on Thames Water Chief Executive Officer, Chris Weston, at the company’s head office in Reading. A group of women carrying out the arrest, entered the lobby of the building and called for Weston and Alastair Cochran to come down to be issued with draft indictment papers and an evidence dossier. The women notified the police, requesting they attend the scene to arrest the two Thames Water executives. The police then attended the scene. The police reviewed the women’s evidence dossier and are now investigating their case against the Thames Water executives.

The group notified staff that the draft indictment and evidence dossier was also with their lawyers and would be submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service. The women are accusing the Thames Water executives of between 5 and 7 counts of Public Nuisance, which includes, but is not limited to unsafe infrastructure and drinking water, mismanagement of customer funds and illegal discharge of sewage.

The arrest takes place as households across the UK expect an average 25% increase in their water bills, while water company executives like Weston and Cochran are paid up to £2.3m¹, receiving bonuses of up to £195,000² and shareholders receive dividends totalling £158.3m³.

Rachel Whyte, who issued the citizen's arrest said: “These execs are earning huge sums of money each year, personally allowing raw sewage to continue being dumped in our waters. Time and again we see them get fined, but nothing changes other than the increase in our bills. It should be a crime to extort the public like this. If accountability isn’t going to be delivered by regulators and the government, then I feel it is my duty as a citizen to do this. I think I speak for every Thames Water customer when I say, I've had enough!”

This follows the failure of the High Court to hold Thames Water to account for their poor business management, where they instead ruled to allow the company a further cost of £3bn to avoid falling into administration and left the current leadership in place.

In August 2024 Thames Water was fined £104m for “routinely” releasing sewage into UK waters, but no legal consequences has resulted for executives of the company⁴. Last month a new law was introduced to try to address the pollution caused by water companies, where directors could have their bonuses banned by Ofwat or even face prison⁵. However, the group feels that while executives continue to cause harm, the public has waited too long for accountability and for new laws to be implemented. Trust has been broken, and that has to change.

Organisations such as the Environment Agency⁶ and commentators in the media such as Nick Ferrari⁷, have highlighted the lack of accountability, and called for the prosecution of those involved in the pollution of our water ways, with some stating that water bosses should be put behind bars.

Whyte continued: “There are lots of instances where politicians, pundits, economists, critics and the public have claimed clear mismanagement in the water industry, especially - given their recent and ongoing financial crisis - concerning their finances, floods and polluted rivers. There have been calls for arrests and prosecution. But they still operate with apparent impunity; dirty rivers, drinking water at risk, floods ongoing, lack of investment cash and the risk of failing infrastructure yet continue to enjoy performance-related bonuses and significant salaries.

“We intend to charge two senior executives of Thames Water with Public Nuisance. We are working with lawyers, and now the police, to make this happen.”

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