Fraud Charges to Proceed against ex-Southern Water Staff
JAMES ARNOLD-HO
Former Southern Water boss Matthew Wright and three other former employees are facing prosecution over allegations that they manipulated wastewater test results. A High Court ruling on 22 July cleared the way for fraud charges to be brought against the four individuals by the Environment Agency (EA) and Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority.
The investigation stretches back several years, with the Environment Agency having gathered evidence over that period that the individuals allegedly conspired to defraud regulatory authorities. They are accused of creating artificial no-flow events at wastewater treatment works between 2012-17, thereby manipulating Southern Water’s own Operator Self-Monitoring (OSM) testing regime. Southern Water’s internal investigation disclosed this to the EA in 2017.
In December 2025, the EA submitted the evidence to prosecutors for review. District Judge Stephen Leake issued summonses to the four individuals – 61-year-old former chief executive Matthew Wright, 58-year-old Philip Barker, 65-year-old Clive Massey, and 64-year-old Mark Gregory – to face charges of defrauding Southern Water’s OSM regime. Wright challenged the decision, arguing that the EA lacked the authority to bring the prosecution in the first place. On 22 July, however, the High Court overruled that challenge.
The case will now be brought against the four individuals at Medway Magistrates’ Court. It is expected to be escalated to a Crown Court hearing, where Wright and the other defendants will enter their pleas. Wright’s solicitor has stated that his client denies all wrongdoing and fully cooperated with the EA’s investigation, suggesting that a not-guilty plea is likely. Should the case progress further, it could ultimately be heard in a full Crown Court trial before a jury. The alleged conspirators could face up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to defraud.
This is not the first time Southern Water or its employees have faced regulatory action. In the Hastings area in particular, the company has been at the centre of public controversy over incidents such as a major pipe burst that discharged wastewater and flooded nearby beach huts in Bulverhythe. That incident occurred only weeks after a £90m fine was imposed on the company for previous infractions involving the discharge of raw sewage off the coasts of Hampshire, Kent and West Sussex.
Local MP, Helena Dollimore, who has campaigned for more stringent regulation and scrutiny of Southern Water’s operational decisions, says: “I’m furious to hear that Southern Water’s former bosses stand accused of rigging wastewater testing results. Environmental regulations aren’t optional. Allegedly fiddling the figures to disguise how much sewage they were pumping into our sea is an insult to coastal communities like ours. If found guilty, the water bosses must face the full force of the law. This case lays bare how broken the water industry is. The Government has already ramped up regulation so this can’t happen again. But now it’s time to go further and take water out of the hands of bosses who think they can cheat the system.”
This case marks a potentially significant turning point in water company regulation. While Southern Water has previously absorbed fines for operational breaches such as illegal sewage dumping – a practice that some in the House of Lords have argued is effectively built into its business model – this prosecution carries a different weight. If the alleged conspirators are found guilty and imprisoned, the company would face reputational liability that they would struggle to withstand.
See also Features on page 8 for the views of a sea swimmer.
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