Devon farmer fined thousands after fish killed by slurry spill
Michael Wade has been charged on two counts of illegal water discharge activity.
Last updated 12th Mar 2026
A farmer from Devon has been fined £4,778 over slurry pollution that ended up killing hundreds of fish.
Michael Wade, of Higher Melbury Farm in Yeo Vale, pleaded guilty at Barnstaple Magistrates Court to two counts of illegal water discharge activity on 9 March 2026.
The court heard that the pollution incidents took place in January 2023 and August 2024.
The first saw slurry discharged from the farm via a ditch into a tributary of the Dipple Brook.
Then the following August, slurry was seen coming from a ditch at the farm into a tributary of the Holebrook.
More than 300 dead fish were collected from the watercourse, which included salmonids and lamprey.
Environment officer Nicola Rumsey said: “Farmers have a responsibility to ensure that slurry is properly stored and spread, to avoid the risk of harm to the environment.
“If farmers have concerns about not having sufficient slurry storage capacity, we recommend they contact us, so that we can give advice ahead of time and avoid an incident.
“When incidents do happen, these can kill fish and impact water quality, as well as requiring significant resources to clean up.”