CLEAN river campaigners blasted water companies for continued pollution after they were ordered to pay back £158 million to customers today.

River Action was responding to the latest Ofwat report on water company performance and the cash they have been ordered to pay next year through lower bills.

In Ofwat’s annual performance report on water firms, the regulator said customer bills will be slashed in 2025-26 to reflect the penalties, with the total rebates calculated in December.