The case was brought to Northampton Magistrates Court on 18 February 2019 where Michael Burton from Owen Street, Coalville, was proved guilty in absence and ordered to pay a total penalty of £611.47. An annual fishing licence would have cost just £30.

The penalty includes a fine of £440 plus costs of £127.47 and a victim surcharge of £44 after Burton was found in breach of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975) on 7 August 2018 at Hermitage Lake, Coalville.

Following the verdict, James Anderson, fisheries enforcement officer for the Environment Agency, said:

The case shows how seriously the courts take these offences and acts as a reminder to anglers of the importance of having a rod licence. We hope it will provide a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of fishing without a licence.

All of the money raised from rod licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, benefitting anglers and, for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.

Every year across the country, thousands of anglers are prosecuted for not having a fishing licence. As well as cheating other anglers, fishing illegally can carry a hefty penalty. Getting caught without a licence could land a fine of up to £2,500.

All income from rod licence sales is used to fund Environment Agency work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, including improving habitats for fish and facilities for anglers, tackling illegal fishing and working with partners to encourage people to give fishing a go.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A 1-day licence costs from just £6 and an annual licence costs from just £30 (concessions available). They are free for those aged 13 to 16. Licences are available online or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

The case was brought to Northampton Magistrates Court by the Environment Agency on 18 February 2019 where Dariusz Rogueszewski of Nottingham Road, Ilkeston, was proved guilty in absence and ordered to pay a total penalty of £611.47. An annual fishing licence would have cost him just £30.

The penalty includes a fine of £440 plus costs of £127.47 and a victim surcharge of £44 after Rogueszewski was found in breach of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975).

Following the verdict, James Anderson, East Midlands fisheries enforcement officer for the Environment Agency said:

This case acts as a reminder to anglers of the importance of having a rod licence and we hope it will provide a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of fishing without a licence or of failing to give details to an officer.

All of the money raised from rod licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, benefitting anglers and, for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.

Every year across the country, thousands of anglers are prosecuted for not having a fishing licence. As well as cheating other anglers, fishing illegally can carry a hefty penalty. Getting caught without a licence could land a fine of up to £2,500.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A 1-day licence costs from just £6 and an annual licence costs from just £30 (concessions available). Licences are available online or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

A 29-year-old man from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, has been found guilty of fishing without a licence at Osbourne’s Pond, Heanor on 18 August 2018.

More than 30 leaders from local and national government; local MPs Robert Buckland MP, Justin Tomlinson MP and James Gray MP; trade unions, workers from Honda UK, representatives from business groups and local civic leaders yesterday (20 February 2019) came together for the first meeting of the Swindon Taskforce. They agreed on the central importance of making the case for Swindon’s world class production facility and its highly-skilled workers and for Honda’s continued investment in the plant.

The Taskforce, co-chaired by the Business Secretary Greg Clark, the Leader of Swindon Council David Renard and the Chair of Swindon Local Enterprise Partnership John Mortimer, jointly agreed the following:

Yesterday we convened the first meeting of the Swindon Taskforce to come together to discuss the future of Honda in the UK, and to support the workers at Honda’s Swindon plant along with those working in the supply chain and the wider community across Swindon, and the whole of Wiltshire.

Our first priority is to make the case to Honda that investment in vehicles of the future is best done in Swindon. We are united in that mission. We have some of the best talent in the world and the government is already investing in future car manufacturing, batteries and electrification infrastructure to ensure the UK retains its world-leading edge.

The Taskforce is also working to ensure that Swindon continues its record of attracting investment from advanced manufacturers, maintaining and creating highly-skilled jobs that offer fulfilling careers for many years to come.

Published 21 February 2019

Our priority is to avoid disruption to our global trading relationships as we leave the European Union.

The United Kingdom already trades with countries all over the world and will continue to do so regardless of whether we leave the European Union with a deal or not.

Nearly half of our trade is with the EU and a further 11% of our trade is covered by the existing EU trade agreements we are looking to continue as bilateral deals after we leave the EU: the 20 smallest of these agreements account for just 0.8% of UK trade. The remaining 40% of trade takes place with other countries.

The best way to avoid any disruption to our trade after Brexit is to leave the EU with a deal. This can secure our trade with the EU and trade with countries covered by the existing EU trade agreements. This is because leaving the EU with a deal will ensure UK businesses can continue to trade with the whole world on the same terms as they do today for the implementation period.

However, it is only responsible for Government to prepare for all eventualities. That’s why the Department for International Trade is continuing to work with countries to transition the existing EU trade agreements which the UK participates in as a member of the EU, in the event of a no deal to avoid disruption for businesses. This is our top priority and we have significantly increased resources transition these agreements.

We have already secured agreements with countries that account for more than a quarter of UK trade covered by these agreements. This includes signing agreements with Switzerland, which is worth over 20% in terms of value of these agreements, as well as Chile, the Faroe Islands, Eastern and Southern Africa, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

We have also signed Mutual Recognition Agreements with the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand, which ensures that businesses don’t face additional bureaucracy and allows them to continue trading as freely as they do today after we leave the European Union.

Many of the other trade agreements are at an advanced stage, and the UK Government will be signing more in the coming days and weeks.

We will continue to update businesses and they should continue to plan for range of Brexit scenarios, including the possibility of leaving the European Union without an agreement.

Notes to editors