RACHEL Maclean MP has defended her stance on a recent key environmental vote - calling claims that she voted to dump sewage in rivers as a 'lie'.

MPs last week voted on Lords’ Amendment 45 to the Environment Bill which sought to place a new duty on water companies to improve their sewage systems and show reductions in the harm caused by discharges of untreated sewage.

People took to Twitter over the weekend to criticise MPs who voted against the amendment, which was voted down by 268 votes to 204, accusing them of voting to let sewage be dumped into open water.

The Redditch MP has branded the online reaction as "misinformation" and said it led her to receive abuse over the weekend.

Rachel Maclean said: “Given talk recently of doing politics better, it's very disappointing, to say the least, to see misinformation being spread about Lords’ Amendment 45 to the Environment Bill.

"I know there's a misleading graphic doing the rounds on social media which is claiming I voted to dump sewage into open water. This is an outright lie. I did not vote to dump sewage – nor would I ever do so.

“This graphic, which clearly seeks deliberately spread misinformation and lies, led to me receiving abuse over the weekend. This behaviour is completely unacceptable, and it must stop.

“I have been and always will be a passionate advocate for protecting our environment for future generations, and I’m proud to have voted for the world-leading Environment Bill which goes far beyond what most countries are doing."

She said that while the amendment was "admirable", she could not back it as the amendment had no plan or impact statement.

Rachel supported the other amendments, which places a legal duty on the Government to publish a plan by September next year to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows.

A separate amendment will also place a duty on the Government to publish a report on the ‘mechanics’ of eliminating overflows entirely.

She added: "The Government’s view was that it would have been irresponsible to have inserted this section in the Bill given that it was not backed by a detailed plan and thorough impact assessment. It would have been the equivalent of signing a blank check on behalf of billpayers.

“Stopping sewerage discharge into rivers is so complex that in previous decades no government has tackled it. But now we are. I was pleased to support the other amendments to the Environment Bill relating to storm overflows."