people in Hartlepool face a hefty increase in their water bills.

Anglian Water, which owns the former Hartlepool Water Company, wants to put its charges up 34 per cent and Northumbrian Water, which operates sewerage services, wants a 26 per cent increase - both spread over the next five years.

If the increases are approved by Government agency Ofwat it will mean that the average Anglian Water bill for Hartlepool will rise by £32 to £123.

The Northumbrian Water bill will go up from £216 to £280.

The increases will take place from 2004/5 to 2009/10. Rises in inflation will be also be added to the bills.

A spokesman for Anglian Water said: "We still need to invest about £5m between 2005 and 2010 to maintain high service levels."

A spokesman for Northumbrian Water said that, even if the increases were approved, the company's bills would remain the second lowest in the UK.

Stuart Drummond, Mayor of Hartlepool, said he was worried about the price increases.

He said: "I am concerned about the impact of those proposed increases, particularly for people on low incomes, and I will be monitoring the situation closely.

"I appreciate that the water industry has said it needs to increase prices to invest in improving services levels and tackling problems such as severe flooding and we have to ensure that that it does this.

"I have raised the problem of severe flooding in Hartlepool with Northumbrian Water at previous meetings with them and they have assured me that maintenance and improvement work in Hartlepool will be one of their main priorities."

Andrea Cook, chairman of WaterVoice Northumbria, which represents water and sewerage customers in the region, said: "In examining the proposals, we will be paying particular attention to whether the benefits will be evident in the Hartlepool area, and an assurance that they will not be used to subsidise improvements for Anglian Water customers elsewhere."

Ofwat is due to respond to the proposed price increases in August and a final decision will be made in the following weeks.

* WaterVoice Northumbria is asking for public reaction. It can be contacted on 0845 708 9367.