Diesel spill from firm in Pendle damages watercourse

A firm in Pendle, Lancashire, has been fined after diesel from their site spilled into a village watercourse.

The firm, Richard Wellock and Sons, who are fruit and vegetable merchants and are based at Whiteholme Mill on Skipton Road pleaded guilty to two offences at Reedley Magistrates Court and were fined £2,200.

The Environment Agency was first made aware of the problem after local residents noticed a smell of diesel near Trawden Beck. The Environment Agency traced back the leak to the fruit and vegetable firm and found that a driver had been filling up his truck, however the diesel pump was not connected properly so diesel flowed from the firm’s yard into the watercourse.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency stated:

“The ecology of the river was disrupted but there were no fish deaths.

“People need to contact us straight away when these incidents occur, which they clearly did not on this occasion.”

Upon investigation, the company were also found to be operating a cardboard reprocessing facility illegally and converting used cooking oil into bio-diesel without the necessary authorisation or permits.

The directors of the company pleaded guilty to all the charges and were fined accordingly.