In pictures: Protest at Hastings calling on people to boycott water bills

The main target of the protest on Friday was Southern Water. It followed an event, in October last year, when hundreds of people gathered on the Stade to protest about sewage leaks.

It was organised by The Hastings Boycotts Southern Water (HBSW) group and was part of a day of activities with speakers and round table discussions, which covered ‘first steps, communication, dealing with debt collectors and legalities’.

Katy Colley, of HBSW, said: “We are now a movement and have a lot of momentum. This is a massive thing everywhere and we have an ongoing problem with sewage in Hastings. The infrastructure and management of water companies are not fit for purpose and regulators have clearly failed us.

“We don’t have to accept the current situation. People should not feel helpless. If we come together we can create real change. It is about empowerment.”

She added: "We’ve been holding lots of online meetings but getting together in person is a wonderful way to give support to one another and share notes and ideas. We have always believed that we are stronger together, and this feels like the start of a very important journey.”

Olivia Cavanagh has been boycotting the wastewater part of her Southern Water bill for three years and has seen off several debt collection agencies over the years. Speaking on behalf of HBSW she said: ‘New people are joining the movement all the time and the one thing that we are consistently asked is whether we can offer support or advice. We felt this would be the right forum to bring people together and compare notes.

“There are lots of different ways to register your protest and we want to share what we’ve learned over the years and decide on how we want to move forward together.”

Charmian Kenner, of St Leonards, said: “I have stopped paying the waste water part of my bill because they are using the money to pump sewage into the sea.”

At the protest in October, Southern Water’s chief customer officer Katy Taylor said:  “Our performance in Hastings over the last two years has not been good enough. It’s important that we understand the impact on our customers and community.  We are keen to work closer with our stakeholders, including those at Hastings Borough Council, to deliver the change our customers’ expect. We understand the concerns raised by our customers about our recent performance in the Hastings area. We are there to listen and engage, and welcome the opportunity to answer all questions about the steps we are taking to move forwards.”

An £8 million project by Southern Water, at Bulverhythe, to prevent an area of St Leonards from suffering future sewage leaks is nearing completion, the water company has said.

The website boycottwaterbills.com was started in June last year and now says every one of the 11 water companies providing wastewater services in England and Wales is now under active boycott.

The campaign received a boost in November last year when Extinction Rebellion started their own ‘Don’t Pay for Dirty Water’ campaign.

The Consumer Council of Water (CCW) released a statement last November saying that it was aware of the boycott movement but advised customers to keep paying all charges.

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