Telford man ordered to pay £850 for illegal fishing
A Telford man has been ordered to pay more than £850 after being caught fishing illegally.
Charlie Bevan, 56, of Woodrows, Telford, was charged for fishing without a rod licence.
The case was tried in his absence at Northampton Magistrates Court on March 3.
Bevan was fined £660, and ordered to pay £127.47 costs and a £66 victim surcharge.
Serena Balsdon, from the Environment Agency, said: "An annual fishing licence costs just £30.
"Money from fishing licence sales is invested in England’s fisheries and is used to fund a wide range of projects to improve facilities for anglers including; protecting stocks from illegal fishing, pollution and disease, restoring fish stocks through re-stocking, eradicating invasive species and fish habitat improvements.
"Fishing licence money is also used to fund the Angling Trust to provide information about fishing, to encourage participation in the sport and to manage a voluntary bailiff scheme."
Anyone witnessing illegal fishing can report it directly to the Environment Agency hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org
