Three anglers from the West Midlands have been ordered to pay a total of £1,040 for illegal fishing. 

The anglers, from Redditch and Walsall, admitted to the offences in cases heard at Northampton Magistrates' Court on April 4. 

Jack Lewandowski, aged 33, of Frankton Close, Redditch, pleaded guilty to fishing without a licence at Harvington near Evesham on October 15, 2023. 

He was fined £129 and ordered to pay £135 costs and a £103 victim surcharge. 

He also admitted to removing bream contrary to byelaws and was fined a further £129 bringing the total costs he was ordered to pay to a total of £496. 

Alfred Bradford, aged 45, of Foster Street, Walsall, admitted two offences when fishing at Norton Mere near Tong in Staffordshire on August 15, 2023. 

He was fined £40 for fishing without a licence and ordered to pay £135 costs and £32 surcharge. He also pleaded guilty to leaving a rod and line with its bait or hook in the water unattended. 

Bradford was fined an additional £40 for a total of £247. 

Shane Edwards, aged 36, of Chantry Avenue, Walsall, admitted to fishing without a licence at Powell's Pool, Sutton Park, on January 30. He was fined £116 and ordered to pay costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £46 for a total of £297. 

Nichola Tomlinson, Fisheries Enforcement Team Leader for the Environment Agency in the West Midlands, said: “We hope these penalties will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws for angling in England.   

   “The cases show how seriously the courts take these offences and these anglers have been rightly punished for the illegal fishing they undertook.   

"Fishing illegally can incur a fine of up to £2,500 and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized.  We inspect rod licences 24/7, seven days a week to check on cases of illegal fishing. 

“Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency incident hotline 24/7 on 0800 807060 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”