Firm fined over river pollution

A water company has been ordered to pay nearly £12,000 in fines and costs after sewage polluted a Devon river.

The Environment Agency brought the case after the waste flowed from the Landkey pumping station near Barnstaple into the River Venn last summer.

South West Water (SWW) was fined £10,000 and told to pay £1,875 costs by Barnstaple magistrates.

SWW said it acknowledged responsibility for equipment failures and added it had since upgraded station control systems.