WATER watchdogs OFWAT are set to be challenged by Lancashire County Council in a row over controversial pre-payment meters.

The High Court has given Lancashire County Council permission to take action against water regulator OFWAT.

The county council is complaining that OFWAT should stop North West Water from installing the meters in the homes of people who have difficulty paying their bills. County council leader Louise Ellman said the meters, which are kept topped up by cards bought from post offices, could pose a health hazard, enable NWW to disconnect homes without going to court and would remove the requirement for full disconnection information being reported to OFWAT.

Mrs Ellman said: "Pre-payment meters would give North West Water a back door method of disconnecting water supplies and depriving hard-up families of current safeguards by by-passing normal legislation."

She added: "I am appalled poor people are effectively being asked to disconnect their water supply if they cannot pay in advance.

"North West Water have already temporarily halted the further installation of these meters and we are mounting this legal challenge to ensure that no more are fitted."

Other authorities involved in similar legal challenges are Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham city councils, and Oldham and Thameside metropolitan borough councils.

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