Internal documents reveal the Environment Agency's failure to investigate numerous serious pollution incidents across England last year.
The agency only physically investigated a small percentage of reported incidents, heavily relying on potentially biased reports from water companies.
This lack of on-site investigation led to the downplaying of over 1,000 incidents initially deemed serious threats to the environment.
Critics argue this inaction enables polluters to operate with impunity, highlighting a critical need for improved environmental oversight.
