Politicians and campaigners have shared their frustration at the pollution incidents that led to South West Water being fined nearly £8m for hundreds of sewage spills.

On Tuesday at Plymouth Magistrates' Court the company was fined £7,867,733 and ordered to pay £329,993 after admitting a series of pollution-related offences over six years in Bodmin, Harlyn, Playing Place, and Polperro in Cornwall, and Plymouth in Devon.

It apologised for what happened and said it remained "focussed on the future" and that "significant improvements" have been made across the sites.

Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, Ben Maguire, said South West Water (SWW) committed a "staggering catalogue of pollution.

"South West Water has repeatedly broken the law, poisoning North Cornwall's rivers, seas, and my constituents with impunity", he added.

"Yet again, the response is essentially another slap on the wrist fine, which a company of this size can absorb as simply the cost of doing business.

"The hard-working South West Water technicians and other staff I meet are being completely let down by these rotten executives.

"I strongly believe we urgently need much tougher penalties for repeat offenders, including prison sentences for those responsible for overseeing serious and illegal sewage dumping.

"The message must be absolutely clear: you cannot pollute our waterways and just pay your way out of it. My constituents are sick to death of it."

At almost £8m the fine is the largest ever imposed for environmental offences in the South West.

It is more than three times higher than the previous fine issued to South West Water over similar pollution incidents in 2023.

It reflects how seriously the offences were seen - pollution that hit "some of the most scenic locations in Cornwall and Devon", according to the Environment Agency.

Although this latest prosecution focused on historic pollution, the controversial issue of sewage spills remains firmly in the spotlight.

Calls for the government to do more continue and in response it says it is "overhauling the water system".

South West Water has said it is taking action too by "investing £760m to tackle storm overflows".

But for many sea swimmers, kayakers and campaigners, this fine will be a sign of a system they argue is broken.

Commenting on the case, Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said people in his constituency were "fed up".

"Today's verdict is the latest in a catalogue of failure from South West Water, from mass sewage dumping to rising bills, crumbling infrastructure and public health failings like the Brixham parasite outbreak," he said.

"Water bosses have cashed in while failing in their basic duties.

"I know the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, cares deeply about the dire state of the water industry.

"He made this clear when visiting our region in the summer, only weeks after becoming Prime Minister.

"I'm expecting to hear more shortly on his plans to reform the sector, including South West Water."

South West Water were handed the fine after admitting to 18 pollution offences across Devon and Cornwall.

The water company entered guilty pleas at Plymouth Magistrates Court in March after an investigation by the Environment Agency into incidents between 2015 and 2021.

Of the 18 charges, 17 were for illegal discharge activities including sewage discharges and one was for failing to take reasonable remedial measures following a failure at a sewage pumping station.

During the sentencing remarks, District Judge Jo Matson described the pollution as "horrendous" and "very significant".

Responding to the sentencing, South West Water added: "These proceedings concern historic matters between 2015 and 2021 and the majority of the charges concerned the use of overflows in storm conditions.

"We're investing £760 million to tackle storm overflows and have reduced spills by 17% in the last year alone, with spill duration down by 25%.

"Significant improvements have been made across the sites concerned including an upgraded treatment process at Scarletts Well in Bodmin, the upgrades at Harlyn pumping station and the replacement of pumps at Halvarras pumping station.

"These upgrades also include additional investment in the catchment to remove surface water and illegal connections into the drainage network.

"We apologise for what happened in the past, and we remain focused on the future as we deliver record levels of investment to achieve cleaner rivers and seas across the South West by 2040."

Jo Morley, head of campaigns at Surfers Against Sewage, said: "Punishing a company for illegal activity is a no brainer.

"South West Water has been polluting, profiting and putting our health at risk for decades, and continues to do so.

"Every single year. South West Water was the worst offender for illegal dry spills in 2025. It dumps sewage into our bathing waters, making us sick.

"It had the biggest rise in customer complaints. The list goes on and on."

She added: "These fines are welcome, but for these crooked companies, it's simply the cost of doing business.

"The entire industry is rotten to the core, and must be restructured. Otherwise, we will continue to pay the price for incompetence and greed, through ever-rising water bills and risking our health to swim in the sea.

"The Government must legislate on a new water industry that operates for people and protecting the environment, not polluters and profiteers."

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.