Greenpeace found that the regulator has failed to meet its own response time targets for around three-quarters of England’s worst pollution incidents.

The Environment Agency has been late to attend most serious pollution incidents over the past five years, according to an analysis by Greenpeace.

The environmental group’s investigation unit Unearthed obtained data on the agency’s attendance at pollution incidents between January 2017 and October 2023 under freedom of information (FOI) laws.

It found that the regulator has failed to meet its own response time targets for around three-quarters of England’s worst pollution incidents, which include major sewage, oil and slurry spills.