Boss of UK’s most polluting water firm made £1.4m from shares before retiring

United Utilities revelation prompts calls for water firms to be taxed to extent they cannot pay huge sums to CEOs

The chief executive of the UK's most polluting water company made 1.4m from the sale of shares in the business before his retirement, the Guardian can reveal.

Politicians have called for water companies to be taxed to the extent that they cannot pay huge sums to CEOs after it was revealed that Steve Mogford of United Utilities retired on 31 March and in the months beforehand sold his shares for just under 1.4m.