A water watchdog chairman is facing criticism for using a student railcard to obtain discounts on first-class train tickets he claimed as expenses.

Robert Wilson, the 61-year-old former Conservative MP and chairman of the Consumer Council for Water, claimed first-class train tickets using a 16-25 railcard discount on two journeys in March and November 2023, making the first-class seats cheaper than standard tickets, which the CCW allows only if first-class is cheaper than standard fares.