A “disgraceful” supermarket cheese supplier has been fined £29,000 for contaminating a river with slurry.
Alvis Brothers, which sells to Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer, let manure from its Lye Cross Farm in Bristol run the Congresbury Yeo in June 2019.
The leak continued throughout July, despite environment officers visiting the farm three times.
Two months later, it contaminated the same stretch of river after spreading pig slurry on nearby fields.
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Judge Lynne Matthews described the offences as “appalling”, and said the company – reportedly a serial polluter – should not need “nurse-maiding”.
It was fined £22,000 for the first leak and £7000 for the second, on top of £8000 in costs.
“Repeated pollution events from Lye Cross Farm have caused protracted damage to the local environment,” Environment Agency officer Jenny Hasell said.
“We expect much better from such a large and experienced farming business, both for the environment and the local communities.”
Alvis Brothers has been approached for comment.
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1 Comment. Leave new
So have Waitrose walked away from that business?
What about the other suppliers to the industry, who is checking this is not happening up and down the country?