Man caught fishing illegally in Shropshire must pay £389

Steve Gibbons, aged 32, was caught by Environment Agency officers fishing at Marchamley Pool, Hodnet, near Market Drayton, on May 21. He had failed to purchase a permit.

He and another man, Jason Palmer from Stafford were proved guilty in their absence in court. Palmer was prosecuted over a separate case which took place at Bishton Pools, Rugeley, on April 24 this year.

Carl Salisbury, fisheries enforcement officer at the Environment Agency, said: "Illegal fishing undermines the Environment Agency’s efforts to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable.

"Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries for the benefit of anglers. For those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.

"These cases show how seriously the courts take these offences.

"We hope the penalties received by the illegal anglers will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws we have in place across England."

Gibbons, from from Stoke-on-Trent, must pay a fine of £220, costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £34.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or stillwater needs a licence to fish.

A one-day licence costs from £6 and is available from gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.