Leicestershire farmer fined for polluting brook with silage

The Environment Agency said Welby Brook was black and had a septic odour downstream from Welby Grange Farm

A farmer has been ordered to pay more than £15,000 after illegally polluting a Leicestershire brook.

The Environment Agency said about 80 fish were found dead in Welby Brook near Melton Mowbray in June 2019 while others were seen gasping for air.

An investigation found there were harmful level of ammonia in the water caused by silage effluent leaked from a silo belonging to Roger Hobill.

He was sentenced for two offences at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Monday.

The pollution was reported to the Environment Agency after dead fish were found by Asfordby Fishing Lakes.

A water quality assessment took place and officers found elevated ammonia levels.

At nearby Howell Lake a drop in oxygen levels was also detected.

Environment Agency officers visited Welby Farm where Hobill told them an internal wall of his silage clamp had recently collapsed and it may have resulted in a leakage.

Officers saw the crack where silage had escaped.

A combination of slurry, cattle feed and silage liquor was running downhill and into the surface water drain.

Hobill admitted causing a discharge of silage effluent

Water samples showed the brook was clear and uncontaminated upstream but downstream the brook was black and had a septic odour.

Hobill, 55, of The Old Granary, Welby, pleaded guilty to causing a discharge of silage effluent which was not authorised by an environment permit.

He also admitted failing to construct an adequate silo for the storage of silage.

He was fined a total of £5,608 and ordered to pay £9,787.50 costs plus a victim surcharge of £190.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "This case has resulted in unacceptable pollution of a local brook, causing significant harm to fish and other aquatic wildlife."