THE Environment Agency (EA) says it is pursuing the owners of the Premier Inn buildings in Bradford to ensure they take action to "stop polluting" one of the city’s most important watercourses.

The EA said its investigations revealed that the buildings’ foul water pipes had been "misconnected" and were discharging to Eastbrook rather than the sewer network.

Eastbrook is a former tributary of Bradford Beck which now flows underground in a culvert.

But Premier Inn is adamant the misconnected pipe is not the company’s responsibility after conducting its own investigations.

Tests carried out by the EA and environmental group, Friends of Bradford Beck (FOBB), showed that Eastbrook is polluted. EA officers said they lifted a drain in the city centre and traced the source of pollution using a harmless green dye tracing test.

A member of FOBB suspects the issue predates the conversion of the Vicar Lane property to a hotel.

A spokesperson for the EA said: “Following an investigation at the Premier Inn buildings in Bradford, we are pursuing the owners to ensure they take action to stop polluting Eastbrook.

“Pollution incidents cause distress to local communities, reduce water quality and spoil ecosystems.

“We will not hesitate to take tough action against any company or individual who causes significant pollution and damage to the environment."

But a spokesperson for Premier Inn said: “This matter was investigated earlier this summer and it was determined that the pipe isn’t our responsibility – it connects to a separate property and it is the water company who bear responsibility for connecting it to the correct waste pipe.

“The Environment Agency were informed of this by our solicitor back in July.

“We are happy to follow-up with them to help ensure the correct party has been informed in order to take any action necessary.”

Yorkshire Water denies any responsibility for the issue. The utility firm explained it has not been asked by the EA to investigate, which it would have been had the misconnection been linked to Yorkshire Water.

A report by FOBB that went before the latest meeting of Bradford Council's regeneration and environment scrutiny committee highlighted the pollution issue, stating that a hotel is "connected directly into Eastbrook" and adding "Ironically, this building used to be Broadacre House, the headquarters of Yorkshire Water!”

Afterwards, Barney Lerner, Chair of FOBB, said he was "disappointed" Premier Inn wasn't "just getting the problem fixed and stopping the ongoing pollution of Eastbrook."