The government is to investigate reports of raw sewage floating down a Surrey high street and spreading to a primary school during recent flooding.
Monica Harding, Liberal Democrat MP for Esher and Walton, told the House of Commons that the spillage in Thames Ditton was “unacceptable”.
“In last week’s heavy rain, human waste flooded two homes and spread to the local primary school, and Thames Water’s proposed solution was to wash it straight back into the river,” Harding said.
Thames Water apologised to residents and said “engineers carried out a thorough investigation of the sewer network and confirmed the flooding was caused by exceptionally heavy rainfall, which overwhelmed the system”.