Man jailed following damage to canal water quality

A 42-year-old man has been sent to prison for more than two years after being found guilty of damaging the water quality of a canal and cheating the taxman.

Nigel Barrett was handed the punishment for his role in a major fuel laundering operation, as stockpiles of diesel with a duty value of £10 million were discovered.

Some of the fuel had spilled into Grand Union Canal in Bedfordshire, causing what the Environment Agency described, a "major pollution".

The waterway was closed while a £64,000 clean-up operation took place and it was the resultant investigation that led environment officers to the huge haul of diesel.

Environment Agency officer Liz Williams said: "The case is a good example of teamwork between government agencies. The Environment Agency and HMRC pooled their knowledge and worked closely together during the investigation and subsequent prosecution."

This week, the body has also revealed that the owners of a daffodil farm near Camborne have been fined £50,000, after pesticides polluted a nearby stream, killing numerous fish.

Posted by Lauren Steadman