Somerset supplier fined £37,184 for polluting watercourse

The case was heard at Bristol Magistrates Court on December 2, 2021.

Lye Cross Farm supplies cheese to major supermarkets including Waitrose, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury, and exports to more than 40 countries around the world.

On 28 June 2019 an environment officer attended Lye Cross Farm following a report of slurry pollution to a tributary of the Congresbury Yeo near Cheddar.

The source of the pollution was found to be run off from a heap of farmyard manure at Lye Cross Farm.

The run off had entered a surface water drain that led to the stream, and more than half a kilometre was polluted.

Alvis Brothers Ltd built a basic bund to contain the run off, but when environment officers returned to the farm on July 2 this year effluent was leaking from the bund and again contaminating the watercourse.

Again on a farm visit on September 18, environment officers witnessed a second pollution, this time as a result of pig slurry being spread on nearby fields.

In court District Judge Lynne Matthews described the offences as ‘disgraceful’ and ‘appalling’.

She said that the company should not require ‘nurse-maiding’ by the Environment Agency, given their farming experience.

District Judge Matthews also said that in all the pollutions she had dealt with, offenders had not had as many slaps across the hand from the Environment Agency as in this case.

Environment Agency Environment Officer, Jenny Hasell, said: "Repeated pollution events from Lye Cross Farm have caused protracted damage to the local environment.

"We expect much better from such a large and experienced farming business, both for the environment and the local communities.

"If you are concerned about pollution to water or land, contact our 24-hour incident line on 0800 807060."