Thames Water lobbied Whitehall to press Ofwat on allowing higher bills

Exclusive: Debt-ridden company also warned officials of chilling effect' renationalisation would have

Thames Water has lobbied the government to intervene with the regulator to allow it to charge far higher bills, the Guardian can reveal.

Advisers and board members of the beleaguered water company are understood to have met Whitehall officials in recent weeks to warn that allowing it to be temporarily renationalised would have a chilling effect" on the entire UK's appeal to international investors, sources familiar with the discussions told the Guardian.