Coogan joins protest over firm's Windermere pollution

Steve Coogan is a fierce critic of United Utilities' Windermere operation

Actor Steve Coogan has accused a water firm of "greenwashing" and "PR spin" as he joined a protest criticising it for putting sewage into England's largest lake.

The I'm Alan Partridge star hit out at United Utilities' decision to pay out record dividends to shareholders, as he joined campaigners outside its offices near Windermere, Cumbria.

Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain he said: "We're telling them to stop putting sewage in the lake and take out what they put in."

United Utilities said it had spent £75m on wastewater treatment to "halve the amount of phosphorus that goes into the lake".

Coogan, who took part in a similar protest last May with comedians Lee Mack and Paul Whitehouse, said the firm should not be allowed to pass on the clean-up costs to bill payers, and should deny shareholders a dividend for a few years instead.

He added: "It's to such an extent that there are toxic levels of algae, there are algae blooms that show the nitrate levels are like through the roof. And they've been doing this year on year."

He also called on the government "to act" if the work was not done.

'Lakes are for everyone'

Mr Coogan said the money the firm was investing into addressing the issue was "chicken feed" in comparison to its profits, and grants were "PR spin and greenwashing".

"It is all to stop people looking at the fundamental problem, which is they are the biggest polluters in this country, the biggest water utility company pollutes British waterways," he said.

"The lakes are there for everyone, people who can't afford holidays abroad to be able to use the lake for recreation, and it's threatening that."

Windermere is one of the most popular tourist spots in the UK

Asked how he could defend dumping untreated sewage into the lake, United Utilities' representative Chris Matthews told the programme: "We share the concerns that Steve has expressed there, and many other people, about the overflow operations and the impact on local water courses and are investing to tackle this problem.

"We are taking this problem extremely seriously as part of a huge investment programme."

Mr Matthews also said customer bills would be increasing to help fund the improvements.

"It's going to be about £25 a year that bills will go up, about £2 a month, to help fund what is a £14bn plan," he added.