Debt-ridden Thames Water installs a series of rainbow Pride drain covers in England!

An English, debt-ridden, water company, just fined millions for a devastating sewage spill has installed a series of Pride drain covers.

This month shareholders were forced to step in to plug a financial black hole in struggling Thames Water, which serves 15 million customers but has debts of around £14billion.

It comes after the company was ordered to pay £3.3million after it discharged millions of litres of raw sewage into two rivers, killing 1,400 fish.

But it has now been revealed that despite its troubles, the under pressure water provider has installed a handful of rainbow drain covers meant to 'celebrate diversity and inclusion.'

The latest in its Pride drain covers was installed outside Twickenham Stadium in Twickenham, south west London.

They are built by civil engineering manufacturers Wrekin and feature silver raindrops clustered around a rainbow circle.

Company bosses previously placed similar covers in Reading and Swindon, where there are annual Pride events.

Clean river campaigner Angela Jones - who has been battling to save her local River Wye in Herefordshire from pollution - said: 'It's greenwashing.

'The water companies are chucking money at certain things to soften the real issue.

'How dumb do they think we are? The issue is they are polluting.'

And wild swimmer Angela added: 'My life is the water. The water is inclusive to everybody. We don't give special treatment to certain people.

'We are all just one and we all just ask the same thing, which is having clean ecosystems.'

The latest Pride drain cover was unveiled by Thames Water outside Twickenham Stadium on April 25.

Its aim is to 'celebrate diversity and inclusion within the company's workforce and the customers and communities it serves.'

The cover is located in front of the stadium and has been painted in rainbow colours as well as black and brown to represent LGBTQ+ people from black and Asian backgrounds.

The design includes LGBTQ+ symbols along with the logos of Thames Water and the cover manufacturers, Wrekin Products and the slogan 'Every rainbow needs a little water to shine.'

Emily Goren, Chair of Thames Water Pride Network, said: 'We are delighted to be unveiling this unique cover at Twickenham Stadium.

'We're proud to be an inclusive employer and want our workforce to represent the communities we serve.

'The drain covers are there for all to see and are a perfect canvas to promote our values.

'This is a highly visible statement piece which reflects our appreciation to our LGBTQ+ employees and customers.'

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