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Ofwat has been investigating how wastewater and sewage networks are managed across the industry.

Severn Trent was the eighth case it had completed in its industry-wide wastewater investigation, which has resulted in fines and enforcement packages worth more than £300m, including a £104.5m fine for Thames Water.

But Ofwat said that unlike the previous seven cases, Severn Trent “proactively identified problems in its own network” and “began putting them right” before the enforcement case was opened.

“Ofwat has formally accepted an enforceable package of undertakings from Severn Trent Water to ensure the company returns to compliance,” a spokesperson said.

Severn Trent which covers most of the West Midlands including Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, and parts of the East Midlands, including Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, said its work in spills reduction continued.

James Jesic, the company’s chief executive, added: “We accept Ofwat’s findings relating to issues that we proactively identified and began addressing these before the enforcement case was opened.

“Our investment programme in spills reduction continues across our region at pace with the strength of our whole organisation and supply chain behind it.”

Its expansion is being backed with a new £4.5m funding line from Barclays Bank

Pasture Restaurant Group has confirmed plans for its first overseas venue..

The group, which operates five steak restaurants across Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham, has secured a £4.5m refinancing package from Barclays to support the next stage of its growth.

As well as its first overseas venture, in Barcelona, Spain, the funding will enable Pasture to invest further in its existing venues.

Founded in Bristol in 2018 by chef Owner Sam Elliott, its first Cardiff restaurant opened in 2020 and was recently recognised among the world’s top 50 steak restaurants. Since launching it has diversified its offering to include Nightshade speakeasy bar & Parallel restaurant in Cardiff.

The group has also invested its own farm and vineyard which supplies wine and produce for the restaurants, a butcher’s shop, and an online store.

The new Barcelona restaurant is expected to open early next year.

Mr Elliott said“When I founded Pasture Restaurant Group, the goal was simple: to combine great cooking with outstanding local produce.

“Eight years on, it’s incredibly rewarding to see customers continue to connect with that vision, and we’re excited to be entering the next phase of growth with plans to open our first international restaurant in Barcelona.

“Barclays has been a supportive partner throughout our journey, always understanding our ambitions and financial requirements. Everyone at Pasture is looking forward to what comes next.”

Greer Hooper, head of South Wales corporate banking at Barclays, said: “Barclays are delighted to strengthen our ongoing relationship with Pasture Restaurant Group, a dynamic and high regarded hospitality business with a strong regional presence.

“In less than a decade, the group has established itself across key locations including Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham, building a reputation for quality and consistency. Their continued growth is a clear demonstration of their proposition and their ability to succeed in a highly competitive and evolving sector.”

Victims of the 2023 data breach at genetics testing firm 23andMe are to share a $46.75m (£35m) payout, after a California bankruptcy court ruled that the company’s new owner must compensate as many as 6.9 million people whose personal information was exposed.

The ruling, handed down on Tuesday, draws a line under one of the most damaging data breaches in consumer technology, and offers UK business owners a stark illustration of how a single security failure can help bring down a company once valued at $6bn.

Chrome Holding, which operates as the TTAM Research Institute, took control of 23andMe last year following the firm’s bankruptcy. It is run by 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki, who won the company’s assets at a bankruptcy auction with a bid of $305m.

Under the ruling, the settlement will first be paid to Kroll Restructuring, which represents the victims, within five business days of Tuesday’s decision. Kroll will then distribute the funds. The appointment of firms such as Kroll is typical in corporate bankruptcy proceedings.

Business Matters has contacted the legal team representing the victims to ask how many people will receive the payout. Representatives of Chrome Holding and 23andMe have also been contacted for comment.

The road to Tuesday’s ruling began with a hack that, on paper, looked contained. 23andMe filed for bankruptcy early last year, roughly 18 months after hackers gained access to around 14,000 user accounts, a small fraction of its total user base.

The damage did not stop there. Because the platform connects users to their genetic relatives, the hackers were able to access the profiles of those users’ family members, giving them reach into millions of profiles hosted by the company.

And this was no ordinary customer database. 23andMe offered “comprehensive” genetic profiles of people who submitted their DNA, including markers relating to their health and family history, meaning some of the stolen information was highly personal and impossible to change once exposed.

The fallout landed on both sides of the Atlantic. In the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office fined the company £2.31m, finding that 23andMe had failed to put adequate measures in place to secure sensitive user data before the incident.

In May, California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the company following an investigation that found 23andMe “failed to take basic steps to protect users’ data”. Bonta also claimed the firm “lied to consumers about the severity of its 2023 data breach”.

For smaller firms tempted to file this under big-company problems, the direction of travel from regulators should give pause. The 23andMe penalty sits alongside the ICO’s £14m fine for outsourcer Capita over its own 2023 cyber-attack, evidence that the watchdog is increasingly willing to punish security failures with meaningful sums.

23andMe, for its part, continues to trade, selling DNA testing kits online under its new ownership. Founded in 2006 and floated in 2021, the company was once valued at $6bn but has never turned a profit.

For entrepreneurs, the lesson is uncomfortable but plain. Customer data is a liability as well as an asset, and as this week’s ruling shows, the bill for mishandling it can outlive the business itself.

Amy Ingham

Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.