A farm partnership has been told to pay out £19,468 after improper slurry spreading led to multiple pollution incidents in a tributary of the River Yarty.
Exeter Magistrates Court heard that D I & R Dyer (Farm Partnership) is a family run business operating at Crawley Farm, Yarcombe, in Devon.
Following Wednesday’s hearing, the farm was fined £6,600, told to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £7,368 after pleading guilty to causing two pollution incidents in 2024 and 2025.
One of the partners, Derek Dyer, 76, of Crawley Farm, Yarcombe, was fined an additional £2,500 and a victim surcharge of £1,000 after pleading guilty to failing to apply organic manure properly, and to storing manure too close to a water course so as to avoid the risk of pollution.
Slurry running across yard
Two pollution incidents took place at the farm in 2024 and 2025.
The farm has a history of contact with the Environment Agency and has been issued advice and warnings on a number of occasions.
Derek Dyer was previously given a community order in 2024 after contaminating a private water supply and polluting a stream after the slurry store he built from farmyard manure collapsed.
Further relevant offending took place resulting in a conviction in 2009.
The judge noted that the defendants have still not yet built the slurry store for which permission was given in January 2025.
First incident
Stream 350m downstream of run off
A member of the public called our incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 on 1 May 2024 to report the spreading of slurry and manure on bare soil in five fields at land rented in Street Ash, Somerset.
Environment Agency officers attended the site and found the fields were saturated with water, and water was running off the field into a ditch and into a tributary of the River Yarty.
It was found that the fields had been saturated with slurry for three weeks in April and May.
The Farming Rules for Water are clear that farmers should only spread according to the needs of crop and soil at the time of application and take measures to minimise the risk of pollution from spreading. The rules also prohibit spreading to land which is water-logged.
Officers noted that the watercourse was brown and smelt of slurry, and ammonia levels were high.
Second incident
Photograph showing sewage fungus in grass
In a second incident on 20 May 2025, Environment Agency officers visited the farm after monitoring equipment showed high ammonia levels in the River Yarty.
A number of fields owned by Crawley Farm had been spread with slurry.
There was slurry being pumped and discharged from a pipe onto a field rather than into a slurry store.
Silage effluent was also running out of silage clamps and being allowed to enter the tributary.
The tributary of the River Yarty was covered in a thick blanket of sewage fungus.
The incident was found to have had a detrimental impact on aquatic invertebrates in a tributary of the River Yarty.
As part of an inspection of the farm, officers identified a pile of farmyard manure less than 10 meters from the watercourse with no provision in place to collect slurry run off.
Organic manure must be stored at least 10 metres clear of waterways.
Spread manure on field
An Environment Agency spokesperson said
This farm’s reckless attitude to the storage and spreading of manure and slurry led to two pollution incidents and the risk of far greater harm.
Derek Dyer has failed to learn his lesson despite multiple prosecutions and warnings over almost two decades.
Today’s outcome demonstrates that we will not hesitate to prosecute repeat polluters who fail to listen to Environment Agency advice and warnings.
Background
Derek Dyer was charged with two offences.
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On or before 01.05.2024 you, Derek DYER failed to ensure that the application of organic manure to agricultural land at Street Ash Farm, Street Ash, Combe St Nicholas, Chard TA20 3HZ was planned so that it (a) did not give rise to significant risk of agricultural diffuse pollution; (b) took into account the weather conditions and forecasts for the land at the time of application; (c) ensured that reasonable precautions were taken to prevent agricultural diffuse pollution resulting from applications (Regulation 4 (1) (a) (ii) and (b)). Contrary to Regulation 11 (1) of The Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018.
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On or before 20.01.2025 you Derek DYER failed to ensure that organic manure was not stored on agricultural land within 10 metres of inland freshwaters at Crawley Farm, Yarcombe, Honiton Devon EX14 9AY contrary to regulation 9 (1) (a). Contrary to regulation 11 (1) of the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018.
D I & R Dyer (Farm Partnership) was charged with two offences.
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On or before 01.05.2024 you, D I & R Dyer (Farm Partnership) did cause an unpermitted water discharge activity, namely the discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter from Street Ash Farm, Street Ash, Combe St Nicholas, Chard TA20 3HZ into inland fresh waters. Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(b) and Regulation 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
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On or before 20.01.2025 you, D I & R Dyer (Farm Partnership) did cause an unpermitted water discharge activity, namely the discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter from Crawley Farm, Yarcombe, Honiton Devon EX14 9AY into inland fresh waters. Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(b) and Regulation 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.