On 7 January 2008 Jeffrey Holloway (aged 72) of Badgers Walk Country Hotel, Bayton Common, Clows Top, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, was found guilty at Kidderminster Magistrates Court of four charges relating to polluting a stream flowing into the Tanners Brook.
The charges were brought by the Environment Agency under the Water Resources Act 1991. Jeffrey Holloway was fined a total of £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £16, 552.18.
For the Environment Agency, Jill Robson told the court that on 18 April 2005, the Environment Agency received a report of a suspected illegal discharge of sewage into an unnamed tributary of the Tanners Brook. The Tanners Brook eventually flows into the Dowles Brook, a high quality watercourse that flows through the Wyre Forest Site of Special Scientific interest (SSSI) and supports salmon and trout breeding grounds.
Environment Agency officers visited the tributary to investigate and found that the report was correct. They wrote to Mr Holloway to report the outcome of their visit.
On 18 October 2005 Environment Agency Officers visited again. During this visit, green tracing dye added to the sewage treatment plant revealed an unauthorised discharge of sewage into the tributary.
In December 2005, officers made a third visit to take formal water samples, which confirmed that, once again, there was an unauthorised discharge of sewage effluent into the stream.
Attempts to address the problem with Mr Holloway proved unsuccessful and, having exhausted all avenues, a formal investigation was launched. Mr Holloway was invited to attend a formal interview under caution, but declined to attend.
After the case, Mr Holloway indicated his intention to appeal the court’s decision.
Speaking after the case, Philip McCarthy, an Environment Agency officer involved in the investigation said: “Sewage is very polluting to the water environment. It causes oxygen to be removed from the water and contains ammonia, which is very toxic to fish. Downstream waters of this discharge can support salmon and trout breeding, so it’s extremely important to protect the brook. The Environment Agency will not hesitate in prosecuting individuals caught committing similar environmental offences”.
