Emma Stuart King, together with Anna Hoffman from 4 Pump Court and Margherita Cornaglia of Doughty Street Chambers represented their client Mr Chris Stanley in his defence to a claim by South East Water for his refusal to pay a portion of his water bill.

Mr Stanley, an 82 year-old retired magistrate, argued that Southern Water has failed to perform its statutory obligations to treat the wastewater it removes. He sought to join Southern Water to the claim as a part 20 Defendant in order to raise a claim in public nuisance and for loss of amenity against them. He complained that he has been deprived of the opportunity of sea swimming on the Kentish coast metres from his door, and relied on the guilty pleas by Southern Water earlier this year in relation to the discharge of sewage into the sea in the county. The case has attracted press attention with coverage from MSN, i News and the Kentish Gazette.