MP Colvin and foreman convicted of polluting water supply

12 March 1998

MP Colvin and foreman convicted of polluting water supply

MICHAEL Colvin, Conservative MP for Romsey, in Hampshire, was convicted of polluting the village of Tangleys water supply with 200,000 gallons of waste water from a slurry pit.

Mr Colvin and his farm foreman, Ian Hewish, both denied discharging the waste into ground water beneath the farm.

The effluent contaminated drinking water from a bore hole which served 32 sites, forcing standpipes to be installed at the end of 1996.

Alton magistrates fined Colvin £1,000 and ordered him to pay
£14,000 costs. Hewish was conditionally discharged for six months and
ordered to pay costs of £290.

• The Guardian 12/03/98 page 4
  
• The Times 12/03/98 page 6
  
• The Independent 12/03/98 page 5