The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has confirmed that a farmer in Northern Ireland has been fined in court for a water pollution offence.

Alistair Thompson with an address at Ballee Road, Artigarvan, Strabane, Co. Tyrone was convicted yesterday (Thursday, August 21) at Strabane Magistrates' Court for an offence under Article 7(1)(a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 as amended.

The 54-year-old pleaded guilty and was fined £200 plus a £15 Offenders Levy.

The court heard that, on June 3, 2024, Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) water quality inspectors discovered water pollution in the Glenmornan River above Ballymagorry, Co Tyrone.

The NIEA inspectors traced the pollution in the waterway upstream to a tributary of the Glenmornan River.

The inspectors identified the pollution as silage effluent and traced it to a piped drain along the Pine Road, Artigarvan.

The source of the pollution was then further traced to a flow of silage effluent from the rear of silage clamps on a farm at Ballee Road.

Silage effluent was observed to be present in an inspection chamber at this address.

As part of the investigation, a statutory sample of the discharge was collected and analysed. The sample results indicated that the sample contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to aquatic life in a receiving waterway.

The court heard that the NIEA inspector returned on June 4, 2024 and noted that the pollution had been stopped.

A storm pipe on the farmyard was now blocked off and the silage effluent was being directed to a collection tank on the yard.

DAERA said that anyone wishing to report a pollution incident can call the 24-hour NIEA incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.