UK electricity firms leak oil underground in ‘huge problem for environment’

Millions of litres of oil has seeped into soil and watercourses from ageing fluid-filled cables over past 15 years

Electricity companies are leaking millions of litres of oil underground throughout the UK, the Guardian can reveal.

In the past 15 years, 3m litres (660,000 gallons) of oil has been spilt under southern England from cables owned by the electricity distribution company UK Power Networks. But leaks are occurring UK-wide; the largest single leak reported in recent years was in Edinburgh, when 24,000 litres was spilt from a ScottishPower Energy Networks (SPEN) cable.