Two street cleaning companies have been ordered to pay thousands after illegally tapping into Thames Water hydrants in Oxfordshire. The directors of Centurion Power Cleaning and National Road Sweepers pleaded guilty last month to offences under the Water Industry Act 1991 and the Water Supply and Fitting Regulations 1999, which took place last year. The companies were prosecuted by Thames Water after the company caught them using illegal standpipes to take water from hydrants across the county. Marcus Rickard, managing director of Centurion Power Cleaning Ltd, and Munya Chiromo, operations director of National Road Sweepers Ltd, both appeared at Oxford Magistrates Court on March 26.