An agricultural contractor has been ordered to pay £4,536 in fines and costs after farm slurry escaped into a stream in Melksham, close to a supermarket and children's play area, killing dozens of fish.

The case was brought by the Environment Agency and heard in Chippenham Magistrates' Court today.

Tetbury firm J Bell & Son Agricultural Contractors was asked by farmer Richard Stainer, of Snarlton Farm in Melksham, to pump out a slurry store at the farm.

On August 17, 2007, staff were sent to the farm and they started spreading slurry onto fields using a tractor, pump and umbilical pipe.

The same day the agency started receiving reports of dead fish in Clackers Brook in Melksham.

An officer arrived and saw the stream was heavily discoloured.

Inspecting a nearby field he noticed it was ‘sodden with a foul smelling liquid’.

There were numerous dead fish in the brook, including minnows, gudgeon and bullhead.

The next day more dead fish were discovered on a 40 metre stretch of the Clackers Brook near a local supermarket and children’s play area.

James Bell, of J Bell & Son Agricultural Contractors, Remo Farm, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, was fined £1,800 and ordered to pay £2,736 costs after admitting causing polluting matter, namely slurry and or dirty water, to enter controlled waters at Snarlton Farm, Melksham on August 17, 2007 contrary to Section 85 of the Water Resources Act 1991.