Thames Water tried to make MP pay its legal fees of up to £1,400 an hour

Exclusive: Charlie Maynard, public interest representative in case, accuses utility of retaliation' for failed bid for costs in supreme court appeal

Thames Water argued that an MP should be forced to pay its hefty legal costs after he represented the interests of the British public in court, a move he described as retaliation" for pushing for government control of the crisis-hit utility, the Guardian can reveal.

The UK's highest court this week rejected Thames Water's arguments that the Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard should pay legal fees as high as 1,400 per hour.