Road sweeper firm fined £20,000 for stealing water

JM Clark Ltd was convicted of 33 offences in six years, Thames Water said

A machinery hire company has racked up fines of more than £20,000 in six years for stealing water from pipes, a water firm has said.

JM Clark Ltd set up illegal standpipes in Berkshire, Oxfordshire and London from 2018 to 2023, according to Thames Water.

It said it prosecuted the road sweeper contractor before Reading magistrates in 2019 and 2022 and at Oxford Magistrates' Court on 5 July 2024.

The firm was convicted of 33 offences and was ordered to pay £20,040 in fines and £9,320 in costs, Thames Water added.

Thames Water said it met with JM Clark in 2018 to encourage them to comply with the rules.

It said following the prosecution in 2022, the contractor was given a three-month period to review its standpipe usage but during this time it committed four more offences.

In a statement, the water firm said: "With climate change and population growth putting a strain on water resources, Thames Water is taking action against those who illegally connect to its clean water mains."

JM Clark Ltd, based in Belvedere, London, has been approached for comment.