A 74-year-old farmer from Yarcombe, Derek Dyer, has been ordered to pay over £15,000 and undergo 60 hours of unpaid community work due to his involvement in contaminating a private water supply with an illegal slurry store.

This verdict came after Dyer admitted to causing pollution and constructing an unlawful slurry store at a field off Greenway Lane, Clayhanger, Combe St Nicholas, near Chard, according to the Environment Agency, which brought the case forward.

The contamination stemmed from a collapsed slurry store made from farmyard manure, resulting in widespread pollution of the River Isle and damage to surrounding areas.

The traces travelled over 400m from the store, and the track spanned up to 20m in some areas; marks left on fence posts were 12 inches in depth. The contamination impacted a wooded area where springs provide drinking water to several nearby properties.

Elevated levels of E.coli and total coliforms were later confirmed in samples of the drinking water supply, prompting the estate to provide bottled water to residents.

Midweek Herald: The slurry travelled through a local woodland (credits: Enviroment Agency)The slurry travelled through a local woodland (credits: Enviroment Agency)

After the court hearing, Dave Womack of the Environment Agency said: “In over 30 years of regulating farms I have never seen such extensive contamination by slurry.

“Mr Dyer showed a flagrant disregard of the law. Regulations which prescribe how to construct slurry stores have been in place since 1991 and all farmers need to follow some basic requirements to prevent catastrophic events like this from happening.

“If farmers are concerned about the storage capacity of existing facilities, we would advise that they contact their local Environment Agency office and discuss proposals to ensure the environment is properly protected and valuable nutrient resources aren’t wasted.”

District Judge Smith ordered Dyer to pay the total costs of £15,388 and a surcharge of £114.