Musician and environmental activist Feargal Sharkey paid a tongue in cheek tribute to an Oxfordshire sewage works that has been dumping sewage continuously for the past 49 DAYS.

Mr Sharkey, best known as the lead singer of post punk band The Undertones, has become a leading voice, demanding that Britain’s private water companies clean up their act.

He chose Standlake sewage treatment works as his "number one" after water company data showed that it has been pumping untreated sewage into the River Windrush non-stop into the River Windrush since December 12 last year.

 

Mr Sharkey tweeted: "Ladies and gentleman we have a new #1. Last's week's Pick of the Pops, Fairford has been dumped to the bottom of the list after the sewage monitor was reset.

"This week's toppermost of the poppermost, Standlake sewage works with a mighty 1,129 hours non stop since 7/12/23."

Some 16,000 hours of discharges were recorded from West Oxfordshire sewage operations last year in what campaigners described as “a deluge” of pollution.

Figures from website Sewage Map, operated by Oxford academic Dr Alex Lipp, showed over 2,000 hours of discharges from Witney.

Thames Water has been contacted.

The company has said: “We regard all discharges as unacceptable and we have published plans to upgrade over 250 of our sewage treatment works and sewers.  

"We’re currently increasing sewage treatment capacity at a number of our sewage works across the Thames Valley, including Witney which is expected to complete in 2024."