MPS have come under fire from environmental campaigners for voting against an amendment relating to storm overflows in the Environment Bill.

The amendment means that water treatment companies can continue to dump sewage into waterways.

Many people were angered by this decision, with many on Twitter publicly shaming their local MPs for voting to not implement this amendment.

Many MPs have defended their position saying that the cost of implementing the bill far outweighed the advantages.

Some said that if the bill had passed then the taxpayer would have borne the brunt of the costs.

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Jill Mortimer MP for Hartlepool said: “I didn’t vote to dump sewage into our rivers and seas’ I voted to stop everyone in this country having to foot the bill of between £150 and £650 billion.

“To put that into context £150 billion is more than our education, policing and defence spending combined and £650 billion is nearly twice what we spent combatting the coronavirus epidemic – it’s a lot of money – working out between £5,000 and £20,000 per household in the country.

“I don’t think any of my constituents would thank me for saddling them with a massive bill like that on top of everything else.

“The infrastructure simply does not exist to separate all foul water from surface water, so if we had a severe downpour the water companies would have two stark choices – allow our towns and cities to flood with water containing sewage, or discharge into the rivers and sea and receive a hefty fine. Who would pay that fine or for cleaning up the misery after the flood - we would, either in our bills or our taxes.

“I am not some monster that wants to dump sewage into our waters.”

Environmental campaigner Geoff Lilley said: “I swim in the sea with the other Brass-Monkey group, and we are swimming through wet wipes and sanitary products.

“The river Tees and the beaches are not as bad as they used to be but I feel like this is a step in the wrong direction.

“I feel a little let down by our MP and it’s a kick in the teeth to us swimmers.”

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