Scotland is “way behind” England in solving problems with sewage spills into rivers, according to Scottish Government officials.

Internal emails seen by The Ferret reveal that officials criticised the public company, Scottish Water, for allowing an “unacceptably high” number of leaks from its sewerage systems.

Senior staff from Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) were also hesitant to review Scottish Water’s operating licences in bulk in case it suggested Sepa’s enforcement had not been strong enough.