A farmer who hired diggers and builders to illegally rip up trees in a beauty spot has been jailed and ordered to pay £1.2million in restoration costs.
John Price, 68, claimed he bulldozed the trees along the River Lugg near Leominster, Herefordshire, to protect homes from flooding.
He used an 18-tonne digger to dredge a section of the river and stripped a mile-long stretch of the bank of trees in December 2020.
He claimed it was to protect locals in the nearby hamlet whose homes had been devastated by previous floods.
Price was accused in court of damaging a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and one of the UK’s most important salmon rivers.
Natural England officials said the river had been "decimated" by the work which had led to a "devastating" effect on local wildlife and people living nearby.
They said the habitats of "iconic wildlife" such as otters, kingfishers and salmon had also been destroyed along the 1.5-kilometre stretch of the river.
Price was found guilty of seven offences relating to breaching a Natural England stop notice at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court.
On Thursday, he was jailed for 12 months and disqualified from being a company director for three years.
The cost of the damage to the River Lugg and the embankments amounts to £600,000, which he must repay in 12 months.
Sentencing, Judge Ian Strongman said: "Any person could not fail to be dismayed by the devastation caused by Mr Price - he has turned it into a canal devoid of most life. It is ecological vandalism on an industrial scale.
"It was a desire to reduce the risk of flooding. Some residents who live nearby are grateful to Mr Price for taking this action.
"The Environment Agency said the overall river level is as high as in recent years but Mr Price's actions have made things worse.
"It is total ignorance of nature and the environment."
Natural England and the Environment Agency described the damage as the worst case of riverside destruction they had ever seen and could take several decades to be fully restored.
Speaking after the case Emma Johnson, area manager for Natural England said: “The destruction of this section of the River Lugg was devastating for the abundance and range of species which thrived in this river.
"The River Lugg is one of the most iconic rivers in the UK and to see this wanton destruction take place was devastating.
"This is why we have used our powers as regulators to see that justice was done and to act as a stark warning to others that we will take the strongest action against those who do not respect the laws that protect the environment and wildlife we all cherish.
“We want to ensure that Mr Price now takes the necessary actions which we hope, in time will restore this much-loved stretch of river to its former condition.”
Martin Quine, Environment Agency place manager for Herefordshire added: “We welcome the outcome of this prosecution for the unconsented works on the River Lugg.
“The Environment Agency is working hard to restore the health of our rivers.
"It is a complex task that can only be achieved in partnership with landowners.
"We provide advice and guidance but will impose sanctions or prosecute where appropriate to protect the environment and ensure those who breach regulations are held to account.
"The vast majority of landowners and users fully cooperate with this process.
“While Mr Price’s justification for the works was to help prevent flooding to local properties, his actions did not have any flood prevention benefit.
"The destruction of river banks is not appropriate flood management. It is important that the Judge recognised that the works significantly weakened flood prevention measures rather than improved them.
“We urge landowners never to take an extreme measure such as this and instead to always work closely with the Environment Agency around river management to agree on the best solutions for both landowners and the environment.”
Helen Stace, CEO of the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, described Mr Price's actions previously as a “crime against the environment”.
Environmentalists – including BBC Gardeners’ World host Monty Don – also expressed his shock at the “complete obliteration” of the site.
Mr Don said: "It breaks my heart but is all too typical of the ignorance, arrogance and sheer wanton destruction of those privileged to care for our countryside."
But Mr Price said previously he was asked to carry out the work for free as he was fixing the erosion of the river bed and was helping to solve flooding issues.
He claimed the work he did on the riverbanks is legal and said he has the backing of local councillors and residents.
Homes were flooded during Storm Dennis in early 2020, but when Storm Christoph hit in January 2021, houses stayed dry.
Speaking after he cleared the riverbank, Mr Price said: “I'm a Herefordshire farmer and have lived at Hay Farm and was born here at home.
“I have never moved and have watched this river all my life and no one knows this river better than myself.
“I have always looked after the river. I was asked to stop the erosion because I'm the landowner so I'm responsible for the river.
“It was up to the Environmental Agency to look after these rivers but they don't do any work and haven't got any money to do the work because they spend it all on clipboards.
“I have not pushed any trees out and I haven't knocked any trees down I have only cleared what ones came down in the flood.”
