Campaigners have criticised an MP for voting down proposals to stop sewage dumping by unveiling a blue plaque at her office.

The plaque, unveiled outside Lewes MP Maria Caulfield’s office, satirically celebrates that she “voted to block a law requiring water companies to dump less raw sewage in our waterways and seas”.

Unveiled outside the Tory MP’s office in Newhaven, the plaque was one of several erected across the area including at Seaford Splash Point and in Lewes and Barcombe Mills near the River Ouse.

Helen Frederick, an activist with Friends of Seaford Bay, said: “We’ve watched in horror as our rivers and seas have become open sewers since October 2021, when the government, including our own MP Maria Caulfield, voted down a proposal to stop water companies pumping waste directly into our rivers and seas.

“The government justified this by claiming that the proposal was too expensive, and put in much softer measures which don’t hold the water companies to account.

The Argus: Over 200 people at the protest in SeafordOver 200 people at the protest in Seaford (Image: Helen Fredericks)

“These plaques shine a light on the government’s failure to protect our waterways, the natural world, and all of us- There’s a huge amount of support for this campaign in our community and nationwide and we’ll be back with more waves of action until the government takes heed.”

Other groups who took part in the protest on Saturday, January 28, include Extinction Rebellion, Seaford Mermaids, Tide Mills Choir and Silver Dippers.

In response to the plaque unveiling, Maria Caulfield took to Twitter to brand it “criminal damage”, adding that she had reported it to the police.

Ms Caulfield has vehemently denied in the past that she voted against measures to stop sewage being dumped, arguing that the amendment proposed in 2021 was “well intentioned” but would have led to sewage overflowing into people's homes and gardens.

She also said on social media that she had received death threats due to people who “knowingly spread lies” about sewage outflow votes.

The protests come as part of a nationwide Dirty Water campaign which aims to put pressure on the government to reform sewage dumping.