THE cheers for industry watchdog Ofwat announcing cuts in household water bills averaging £30 over the next five years are muted in the North West.

Here the cut will be only some £9 because our region, with an immense legacy of environmental neglect, has to pick up most of the £15 billion bill for improving the country's rivers and beaches.

But while not denying the need for the clean-up, it still remains the fact that the first price cut consumers are getting since privatisation amounts to less than £2 a year - when for the previous 10 years charges have risen by three times the rate of inflation and water industry shareholders have had a profits bonanza.

In which case, should not the shareholders be carrying more of the cost for the clean-up and consumers having a real price cut to cheer?

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