In November 2020, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust drew attention to the damage caused to a stretch of the River Lugg.

Natural England and the Environment Agency launched a joint prosecution – and yesterday, the first hearing took place. The defendant entered a guilty plea to 7 charges and the case was adjourned.

Helen Stace, CEO of Herefordshire Wildlife Trust says: 

“A large stretch of one of the UK’s most important rivers, the Lugg, was badly damaged with appalling consequences for wildlife and water quality downstream. I’m pleased that the case has come to court and that the landowner, Mr Price, has pleaded guilty to a range of charges. This prosecution must act as a deterrent to prevent anyone harming rivers again.

“It was distressing to see that the bankside trees along this enchanting stretch of river had been pulled out and burnt – and the river gravels had been scraped away, so destroying fish spawning habitat. Furthermore, the beautiful banks of the river had been straightened and reprofiled.  I used to lead the team which notified the Lugg as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and I know this river to have immense value for wildlife; the riverbed gravels and water crowfoot plants are home to crayfish, otters and salmon, lampreys and dragonflies. We’re all looking forward to seeing it restored to its natural beauty.

“Rivers are already under immense pressure in the UK from farming pollution, sewage and the vast amount of water that we extract from them for our own use. Crimes like this make a bad situation much worse. We need to see better funding of statutory agencies to ensure real protection against the ongoing threats to these precious waterways – and increased enforcement when the rules are breached.

“We would like to thank teams from Natural England and the Environment Agency for their diligent investigations, which led to this prosecution, and to Herefordshire Wildlife Trust staff and members for their support.”