Those plumbing training apprentices who harbour ambitions to meet David Cameron one day might be interested to learn that the Conservative Party leader has expressed support for the water sector.

Tory heavyweight Cameron met with Philip Green, chief executive of regional water company United Utilities, during the north-west arm of the party's reception at the Town Hall in Manchester.

With the politicians' annual conference being held in the city for the first time in 100 years, Mr Green spoke to a packed audience, which included Cameron, George Osborne and William Hague, who is the MP for Richmond in Yorkshire and the shadow foreign secretary.

He said that United Utilities is the largest listed water business in the UK and is the only FTSE 100 company to have its headquarters in the region.

His speech also revealed that water firms have invested £80 billion in England and Wales since their privatisation