Police were called to a London railway station this morning (Wednesday) after environmental activists attempted a citizen’s arrest of Anglian Water’s chief executive, Mark Thurston.
The group of eight women, identifying themselves as the Citizen’s Arrest Network, surrounded Mr Thurston, who earns a reported £720,000 salary, shortly after 7am while reading out a list of alleged “charges” relating to pollution and corporate accountability.
The activists said they were protesting against sewage discharges, rising bills and the company’s financial management.
They claim to have detained Mr Thurston for nearly an hour before police arrived. British Transport Police officers attended the scene and spoke with those involved before the protest ended.
Protest over sewage and bills
The campaigners accuse Anglian Water of committing “public nuisance” offences linked to sewage pollution, equipment failures and what they described as “mismanagement of funds”.
One of the group, Isabel Rock, said the action was aimed at highlighting “environmental harm and unaffordable costs being passed to customers”.
Read: Anglian Water found guilty of failing to provide treatment records
She said: “I’m here to hold Mark Thurston to account for the crimes Anglian Water is committing every day against our environment and pockets.
“These water companies are ignoring environmental protections and are focused on shareholder profit-making over public safety or keeping bills affordable.
“Our water is being polluted by these companies every day and continues to be, despite public uproar. And now our bills are set to increase once again, passing the buck back on to customers.
“Meanwhile, Anglian Water made a profit of nearly £5m last year, the CEO is set to make £700k in his salary, despite the bonus ban, and pay shareholders millions. All while Anglian has a huge debt that we’re paying for.
“When are those responsible going to start paying for the damage they create to our environment? We are the victims of their continued failure, and we want the police to take us seriously”.
£62.8million fine
Anglian Water confirmed that it was “aware of the stunt carried out this morning and the various claims made by this group”, but declined to provide further comment.
The company has faced increasing scrutiny over sewage discharges and debt levels in recent months.
Earlier this year, Anglian Water received a fine of £62.8 million for environmental failings and reported more than 1,300 sewage discharge incidents in the first two months of 2025.
In response to the fine, Anglian Water, which is one of six water firms banned from paying its chief executive a bonus for last year, told the BBC, “We understand the need to rebuild trust with customers and that aspects of our performance need to improve to do that.”
Earlier this year, the company announced it would increase bills by an additional 19%, to an average of £626 a year, starting in April for the 2025/26 financial year.
Then, earlier this month, Anglian Water was approved by the competition body to raise bills over the cap initially set by the soon-to-be-defunct Ofwat.
Public calls for stronger accountability
According to new research by Survation, the UK public believes senior executives at water and oil companies should be held accountable for environmental damage.
The poll, commissioned by the Citizens’ Arrest Network and carried out between 24 and 25 September, surveyed more than 2,000 adults across the UK.
It found that 71% of respondents believe water companies are responsible for environmental harm and climate change, while 78% think chief executives and company directors should be held legally accountable.
Seven in ten said damage caused by water and oil firms should be treated as a criminal offence, compared to just 16% who disagreed.
Support for holding executives to account has also grown since similar polling earlier in 2025, with three in four respondents now saying board-level leaders should face consequences for environmental harm.
The research suggests that the public views water and oil companies, along with their leadership, as bearing significant responsibility for environmental damage and that many want to see tougher legal or regulatory actions to address it.
What is a citizen’s arrest?
Under Section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE 1984), a citizen may make an arrest under the following conditions:
1 A person other than a constable may arrest without a warrant:
(a) anyone who is in the act of committing an indictable offence;
(b) anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be committing an indictable offence.
2 Where an indictable offence has been committed, a person other than a constable may arrest without a warrant—
(a) anyone who is guilty of the offence;
(b) anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be guilty of it.
However, only if the person making the arrest has reasonable grounds for believing that the person in question may:
- cause physical injury to himself or any other person;
- suffer physical injury;
- cause loss of or damage to property; or
- make off before a constable can assume responsibility for him.
The arrest can also only be made if it appears to the person making the arrest that it is not ‘reasonably practicable for a constable to make it instead’.
