Thames Water boss blames 'too much rain' for a major rise in sewage leaks

Thames Water's chief executive today blamed too much rain for a massive increase in sewage leaks - days after the ailing utility introduced a hosepipe ban for millions of customers.Chris Weston complained that the network managed by the firm, criticised for handing massive bonuses to senior executives, could not cope with the downpours seen last year.It came as Thames reported that sewage leaks rose by a third (34.3 per cent) as it recorded an astonishing pre-tax loss of £1.65billion, raising questioned about the very future of the business.