The Government is drawing up contingency plans for the collapse of Thames Water as the utility company battles to pay down a £14bn debt pile.

The emergency nationalisation of Thames Water is being considered in Whitehall as the company scrambles to raise £1bn from investors.

Ministers and water regulator Ofwat have begun discussions about the possibility of placing the company into a special administration regime (SAR) that would effectively take the company into temporary public ownership.

Meanwhile, investment bank Rothschild and law firm Slaughter & May are advising on funding options for the business, with a £1.4bn bond due to be repaid by the end of next year.

Shareholders agreed to pump in £500m into Thames, which is responsible for supplying water to one in four UK households, in June last year as the business tried to deal with a vast leakage problem.

It comes as the company’s chief executive Sarah Bentley unexpectedly resigned with immediate effect on Tuesday.

Read the latest updates below.