Southern Water cleared of two sewage pollution charges

Beaches from Southwick to Ferring were affected by the pollution in September 2012

Southern Water has been found not guilty of two charges in connection with pollution that closed 10 miles of West Sussex beaches for four days.

The company was cleared of the charges relating to the proper maintenance of equipment on the direction of a judge at Chichester Crown Court.

It denied three charges of breaching environmental regulations after raw sewage was pumped into the sea.

The trial is continuing in connection with the third charge.

The company has told the court three blocked pumps at its East Worthing wastewater treatment works were to blame for the incident.

Raw sewage was pumped into the sea in September 2012, affecting beaches from Southwick to Ferring, near Worthing.

Southern Water said on Friday the pump failure was totally unexpected and had never happened before.

It said it activated its emergency plan to discharge sewage into the sea to avoid it backing up in the sewer network.

If that had happened properties including Worthing Hospital would have flooded, putting lives at risk.