Farmer fined 3000 over pollution

29 October 1999



Farmer fined £3000 over pollution

By Farmers Weekly staff

A CUMBRIAN farmer has been fined £3000 and ordered to pay £1000 costs for polluting a beck that runs through his farm with sheep dip.

Robert Scott of Norman Farm, Caldbeck near Wigton, pleaded guilty to casing pollution when he appeared before magistrates at Wigton court on Thursday.

The court heard that the Environment Agency was contacted by an environmental consultant who reported poor quality invertebrate life in the beck.

Agency ecologists investigated and found toxic pollution seriously affecting insect life and traced the source to a tributary flowing through Mr Scotts farm.

The court was told that suspected surface drainage from the sheeps dipping area had entered the beck.

The court also heard that Mr Scott had previously been warned he would be prosected unless he made improvements or relocated his dipping area.