Sewage spill water firm in £156m Windermere pledge

United Utilities has been criticised for numerous, long sewage discharges into Windermere

A water company has announced it will spend an extra £156m in an attempt to reduce pollution in England's largest lake.

United Utilities claimed the money would help cut down its sewage spills into Windermere.

Earlier this year the BBC revealed millions of litres of raw sewage had been illegally pumped into the lake in February.

The founder of the Save Windermere group Matt Staniek said the firm's investment was the "bare minimum".

The latest cash package is in addition to the firm's earlier pledge of £41m and will be spent on upgrading nine wastewater treatment works and six storm overflows.

The company said the work, which it hopes to finish by early 2028, would help cut sewage spills into Windermere by 75%, from 388 per year to 80.

United Utilities official Andrew Kendall said it will cut the amount of phosphorus entering Windermere which has been partly linked to the algal blooms seen in the lake.

But Mr Staniek said the plans were not enough, adding: "It's for the general public to stand up and say we want an end to sewage pollution in Windermere once and all."