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Fines for farmers over water pollution

FOUR farmers from counties Fermanagh and Tyrone have been handed court fines for pollution offences.

Wilfred Bothwell, from Tullyweel, Fivemiletown, in Co Tyrone, was fined £1,000 at Enniskillen Magistrates Court yesterday for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

The offence related to an inspection of a tributary of the Ramult Burn near the Creeve Road at Tullyweel on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) in January.

A large amount of sewage fungus was observed in the waterway.

Further investigation revealed that a discharge of silage effluent was being made from the farm premises of Wilfred Bothwell to the waterway via a drainage pipe.

Meanwhile, at the same court, two Co Fermanagh farmers were each fined £500 for a pollution offence.

Ivor and Edwin Little, both of Ida Grove, Cultiagh, Lisbellaw, were fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

An inspection of a stream at Mulrod, Tamlaght on behalf of NIEA in January found it to contain an extensive growth of sewage fungus.

Further investigation revealed that a slurry lagoon at nearby farm premises was overflowing, and this effluent was discharging to the waterway.

Meanwhile, Co Tyrone farmer Wilfred McCullough, from Magheraglass Road in Cooks-town, was fined £500 at Dungannon Magistrates Court yesterday for polluting discharge to a waterway.

An inspection of a waterway in Cookstown on behalf of NIEA in January found it to be running dark green in colour and exhibiting the odour of agricultural effluent.

Further investigation revealed that heavy rain had caused a slurry tank on the farm premises of Wilfred McCullough to over-flow.

The overflowing material had discharged to a field from where it had run into the waterway.