A Co Tyrone farmer pleaded guilty and was fined £1,500 plus court costs of £22 at Strabane Magistrates' Court today.

Mr Ross Miller, of Dublin Street, Newtownstewart, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 28 October 2011, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, inspected a tributary of the Back Burn at Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone and observed it to be visibly polluted as evidenced by significant sewage fungus and bloodworms. Approximately 1.4 km of waterway was impacted by the discharge. The source of the polluting discharge was traced to a farm owned by Mr Miller.

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A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

(CD/GK)