Dividends paid by privatised water and sewage firms more than  doubled to £1.4bn last year despite rising household bills and criticism over sewage leaks, according to the Financial Times.

The figures are based on the FT’s own analysis of the 10 largest water and sewage companies’ accounts. It explains the dividends are higher than “headline payouts” because a number of the companies have complex layered corporate structures, with many subsidiaries unregulated by Ofwat. Paying out dividends, it says, means less money is available from customer bills for investment in critical infrastructure such as sewage treatment.

The front page features a picture of a damaged building as Kyiv was ‘battered by drones.’