THE CITIZENS’ Arrest Network (CAN) has announced that an attempt was made to perform a citizens’ arrest on the Thames Water CEO, Chris Weston.
Mr Weston was approached by a group of women while on Vastern Road, Reading, and addressed by Sara Melly, who said she wished to speak to him.
Mr Weston is reported to have removed himself from a group of people who had encircled him and headed towards the company’s head offices, when Ms Melly attempted to place him under citizens’ arrest “for committing the indictable crime of public nuisance.”
Mr Weston denied having committed a crime and left the scene.
It comes amid what the CAN said was an ‘unofficial deadline’ to reach a deal with Ofwat over the avoidance of the company’s collapse–a deadline which was extended amid continued negotiations with relevant stakeholders.
Currently the company is in debt of over £16bn and has sought leniency over pollution-related measures.
The CAN is accusing Weston of up to seven counts of public nuisance, a crime that carries a 10 year maximum sentence.
The charges include a focus on infrastructure and drinking water it deems unsafe, environmental damage and sewage spills, which pose a risk to the public’s access to clean water.
Sara Melly, who attempted the Citizen’s Arrest, said: “It is time Water Company bosses see the inside of a jail cell. It has been well reported on for years now how Thames Water and other private companies have been failing the public and we are fed up.
“Fines don’t work… privatisation hasn’t worked.
“Their job was to supply clean water–instead we have higher bills than ever, while they rake in the money, and our water is dirtier than ever.
“The general public are sick and tired of the lack of accountability for CEOs driving these companies into the ground while passing the buck back onto all of us.
“We’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen any more, we have the evidence and we want to see them in court.”
Thames Valley Police has been contacted for comment.
More information about the Citizens’ Arrest Network is available via: citizensarrestnetwork.org
