WATER group AWG has turned up the heat on German bank WestLB by urging it to "put up or shut up" following four months of takeover wrangling.

Anglian Water, which owns Hartlepool Water, rejected the second of WestLB's indicative offers in March but has not received a higher bid since.

AWG chairman Peter Hickson said patience with WestLB was running out.

He said: "Four months after the approach from WestLB suggesting they might offer to acquire the company, I wrote on Monday to West LB's chairman requesting that either they clarify their position or withdraw."