Pull plug on water firms

UNITED Utilities cannot be held responsible for the weather.

But it can be held responsible for failing to prepare for this drought, putting profits before people and providing a second-class service.

Customers would be more willing to accept United’s looming hosepipe ban if it did not have the second-worst record of any supplier for leaking pipes.

To add insult to injury, just two days before the ban comes into force, it will hand out nearly £180million in dividends to shareholders.

It is hard to imagine a worse advert for privatisation.

A firm which has a virtual monopoly is allowed to syphon money from a captive market to reward a few wealthy investors.

This is money which could have been spent on improving its infrastructure or on cutting the bills of its seven million customers.

The sooner the water firms are brought back into public ownership the better.