Liverpool Council has written to the Environment Agency seeking answers over sewage found pouring into the River Mersey.
In August, videos and images appeared to show large amounts of seemingly raw waste seeping into the river. Among those who captured the images around Garston Docks was Cllr Steve Munby.
He asked Cllr Dan Barrington, Liverpool Council cabinet member for climate change and environment, in a written question for an update on work the Environment Agency had undertaken to combat what had happened. United Utilities, which manages the North West's water services, said it was not to blame, pointing the finger at a third party for the discharges.
Last week it was reported an Environment Agency investigation had confirmed United Utilities was not to blame.
READ MORE: Murderer jailed for 18 years for killing boyfriend after night in the pub
In his written response, Cllr Barrington said: “I can confirm that I have asked the strategic director of neighbourhoods (Clare McColgan) to write to the Environment Agency who have confirmed that the request for information has been passed on to the equivalent of the Environment Agency’s FOI team who will respond in due course.” In a statement last month, United Utilities said it had found evidence of “toilet and other waste had been thrown directly into the river where a temporary caravan site had been set up on Otterspool Promenade.”
This evidence has been given to the Environment Agency and to Liverpool Council. Around 100 beaches in England were hit by raw sewage discharges last month, sparking national outrage.
United Utilities came under pressure from a host of Merseyside MPs over the sewage found dumped around the docks in Liverpool and further waste around Widnes. A large number of the region’s representatives in Parliament wrote to Steve Mogford, the chief executive of United Utilities, asking for a full explanation of where the sewage has come from.
The letter was critical of the wider privatised utilities sector, for what the MPs labelled 'financial engineering.' The strongly worded letter was written by Garston and Halewood MP Maria Eagle and was signed by a total of 18 north west Members of Parliament. The list includes Maria's sister, Wallasey MP Angela Eagle, Liverpool members Ian Byrne, Dan Carden and Paula Barker and other Merseyside elected members including Mick Whitley, Peter Dowd, Alison McGovern and Bill Esterson.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT:
Murderer jailed for 18 years for killing boyfriend after night in the pub
Warning to homeowners as energy bills help cut in Jeremy Hunt's mini-budget U-turn
Woman's chilling text messages before she killed boyfriend
Man arrested on suspicion of drugs production after police search home
