A pollution incident killed more than 135,000 fish in the River Witham in Lincolnshire has resulted in a £500,000 for an agri-business.

Lincolnshire Magistrate heard that OMEX Agriculture Ltd leaked liquid fertiliser into the River Witham in March 2018.

Approximately three million litres of liquid urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) concentrate fertiliser escaped from a storage lagoon into the river and its tributaries.

Failure of an overground pipe caused the spill, which seeped into nearby rivers and surrounding woodland.

The Environment Agency said that impact from the firm's pollution destroyed all invertebrates in the river’s tributaries for more than 23km downstream of the site.

The agency had to restock the river with more than 1.5 million fish larvae and 70,000 roach and bream.

OMEX Agriculture Ltd pleaded guilty on June 12, 2023 to the major category 1 pollution incident at their facility at Bardney Airfield, Tupholme, near Bardney, at Lincolnshire Magistrates.

They were ordered to pay a fine of £160,000, ordered to pay costs of £350,000 and a victim surcharge of £190.

District Judge Veits said that the incident "was avoidable had proper checks been made".