A KENT water company has been identified as the worst pollution offender in the south of England.

Southern Water was named as the most frequently prosecuted and highly fined company by a local Environment Agency report.

The company services two million homes in the South East and says it is working on the problem with an upgrade of sewage facilities, which will cost £523million.

In the next five years 97 treatment works and 740km of sewers will be either replaced or refurbished at a cost of £450million and £73million respectively.

Southern Water has also pledged prompt action in future if further incidents occur in a bid to prevent long-term environmental problems.