WIREDGOV

Christopher Wright and Jordan Frost, both of Stoke on Trent, were fined a total of £340 and ordered to pay costs of £1,100 after they admitted to recklessly damaging Leek Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Derbyshire.

Natural England prosecuted Messrs Wright and Frost after they damaged the site, which is legally protected for its blanket bog. In December 2012, their Land Rovers became bogged down while off-roading, creating ruts up to 1m deep and stretching for 200m. They submitted postal guilty pleas to the hearing today at the High Peak Magistrates Court.

Having heard that significant, long-lasting damage had been caused at the site, the Magistrates emphasised the importance of holding people to account for offences of this kind. They went on to say that it was only the defendants' lack of means that persuaded them against awarding a much larger amount by way of prosecution costs.

Janette Ward, Natural England’s Regulation Director, said: “Whilst this is a small proportion of the whole blanket bog on the site, the damage is significant as it is very high quality habitat and the landowner has worked very hard to restore it to favourable condition. The message is clear – if you damage a SSSI knowingly or unknowingly, you are breaking the law. It is your responsibility to find out whether there is any legal protection for the land over which you are driving.”

Natural England, as the government’s environment adviser, is responsible for the protection of SSSIs and works with landowners and managers to help achieve this. It has regulatory powers to prevent damaging operations from taking place on SSSIs and where damage does occur it can take appropriate enforcement action, including prosecuting offenders.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Mr Frost was fined £110 and ordered to pay £300 costs and a £20 victim surcharge (total £430). Mr Wright was fined £230 and ordered to pay £800 costs and a £23 victim surcharge (total £1053). Leek Moor SSSI spans areas of Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire – the offence took place in Derbyshire.

About Leek Moors SSSI

The SSSI includes most of the wildest, open country between the settlements of Warslow, Danebridge and Buxton. It represents an extensive tract of semi-natural upland and upland fringe vegetation typical of the southern Pennines and supports several plants and animals at the southern limits of their English distribution. Associated with this vegetation and the prevailing traditional livestock farming is an outstanding assemblage of upland breeding birds. The site is also of special interest for the high density of breeding golden plover and for the exceptionally large numbers of breeding snipe

For further information (media only) contact:

Lyndon Marquis, 0300 060 4236, lyndon.marquis@naturalengland.org.uk, out of hours 07970 098 005