THE bosses of the water companies are said to have sat glum-faced as the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, in effect read them the Riot Act over water going to waste.

No doubt they were stunned.

For Mr Prescott left them in no doubt over where their prime duty lies - to their customers, not their shareholders.

Quite right too - that is something these firms lost sight of a long time ago.

For, surely, it is a huge scandal that millions of gallons - a third of all supplies in our region - are allowed to be lost through leaky pipes and, yet, huge chunks of the companies' vast profits are poured into the shareholders' pockets rather than a vital repairs blitz.

Now, the firms have been told that they must mend the leaks much more quickly or risk being put out of business.

They have invited this response and have long had it coming.

And, for the sake of their customers - and the environment - Mr Prescott should keep breathing down their necks so that they never again forget that it is a public service they are running.

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