A FARMER has been hauled before the courts after failing to upgrade slurry storage facilities, leaving him in breach of environmental regulations and risking pollution.

Mark Pearson, of Hanford Farm in Blandford, was prosecuted by the Environment Agency and appeared before Yeovil Magistrates’ Court in December.

He admitted the offence and was fined £1,200. He was also ordered to pay a £480 victim surcharge and £4,075 in costs.

Additional slurry storage has now been installed.

The court heard that there had been multiple pollution incidents involving the farm since 2012 and Pearson had failed to construct adequate slurry storage capacity.

The court heard that there had been multiple pollution incidents linked to Hanford Farm since 2012.

(Picture: Environment Agency)

The farm is in an a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone, an area designated as being at risk from, or impacted by, agricultural nitrate pollution.

Excess nitrates can harm the environment and humans by leaching into groundwater and polluting waterways.

Farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones must follow rules governing slurry storage capacity as well as controls over when and how much spreading can take place.

Pearson had initially been given Environment Agency advice and guidance to increase storage.

Chris Westcott of the Environment Agency said: “Pearson has consistently failed to deliver on his promises to the Environment Agency that slurry storage would be increased.

“We first highlighted this issue in 2015.

“We have been more than patient with the farmer, but the promised improvements never materialised, and the offending continued which left us with no alternative but to pursue enforcement actions.”