£10,000 fine for pollution

Lewes Crown Court heard how the chemical which Working Wonders Farming used on strawberries leaked into the Pellingford Brook, a tributary of the River Ouse.

The deadly chemical killed 80 per cent of the fish population in a 15km stretch of the river between Sheffield Park and Barcombe.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Environment Agency, Gary Lucie told the court that the agency had received reports of dead and distressed fish in the river in August 2001.

He said that investigations revealed the pesticide had leaked into the water from Wapsbourne Manor Farm in Sheffield Park, where the company is based.

Mr Lucie said it would not be until August this year two years after the pollution that the river life would be restored.

But the court heard that the leak had been unintentional and that the company had never turned a 'blind eye' to the pollution.

Mr Lucie said: 'A member of the public stated that he spotted dead fish in the River Ouse in Barcombe area. During that next week several more incidents of dead or distressed fish were reported.'

He said checks were made with Working Wonders Farm and the pesticide was traced to a filter used when spraying the chemical on strawberries. The court heard this led to the chemical being released into the river.

Paul Cragg, a director of the company, told Environment Agency officials the farm was in the process of becoming organic when the leak occurred and chemicals are no longer used.

Mr Lucie said: 'Mr Cragg said they were no longer using pesticides on crops because, in his words, it was not worth the risk.'

Anglers

Mr Lucie said: 'The affected part of the River Ouse was fished by a number of local angling clubs and it was in fact fishers who reported the fish deaths.'

He added that the company had no previous convictions.

Representing Working Wonders Farming, which admitted one count of allowing polluted materials to enter controlled waters, Gareth Rees said the company had been fully co-operative with the Environment Agency when the pollution was discovered.

He said: 'They entirely accept the company and farm and method were responsible for this terrible incident the result was shocking.'

He added that the company was not a firm which turned a 'blind eye' to pollution or deliberately polluted waters.

He said: 'This is the other end of the spectrum.'

Mr Rees told the court that the company already owed 12,000 to the Environment Agency for the clean-up operation and 10,000 in legal fees.

The 10,000 fine imposed by Judge Anthony Niblett along with an order to pay 3,291 in court costs means the company has had to pay more than 35,000 as a result of the offence.