Matt Ralton, of St Stephens Road, Leicester was proved guilty of fishing without a licence failing to state name and address and obstructing a constable

A 44-year old man from Leicester has been found guilty of fishing without a licence, failing to state his name and address, and obstructing a constable in the execution of his duties in June 2018.

The case was brought to Leicester Magistrates Court by the Environment Agency on 5 December 2018 where Matt Ralton, of St Stephens Road, Leicester was proved guilty in his absence and ordered to pay a total penalty of £1,428.

The penalty includes fines of £800 plus costs of £548 and a victim surcharge of £80 after Ralton was found in breach of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975) and the Police Act (1996) on 2 June 2018 at Watery Gate, Normanton Turville, Thurlaston.

Following the verdict, Peter Haslock, Area Enforcement Team Leader for the Environment Agency said:

This case shows anglers how seriously the courts take these offences and highlights how we do not tolerate obstructive behaviour towards our officers under any circumstances. It 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 from www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

New figures released today (6 December) by HMRC reveal that in the year ending September 2018:

• Exports of goods from England increased by 3.1% to £247.6 billion
• in Scotland, goods exports increased by 6.2% to £29.6 billion
• in Wales, goods exports increased by 3.0% to £16.9 billion
• in Northern Ireland, goods exports decreased by 0.2% to £8.6 billion

Between July and September 2018, the average value of goods exported in the UK per exporter was £0.8m.

Businesses were also taking advantage of global interest as the number exporting to non-EU countries in the latest quarter rose to 49,000. The most popular non-EU destinations include USA, that 19.9% of exporters sold goods to, Australia (7.9%) and Switzerland (7.3%).

Comparing the year to the previous year, the growth in goods exports came from regions across the UK with the East Midlands seeing the greatest rise in the value of exports (up 10.9%) followed by Yorkshire and the Humber (8.6%) and South West (6.3%).

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox MP said:

The continued rise in exports across the country is fantastic news for Britain – driving job creation and prosperity.

More than 110,000 businesses are expanding their horizons and making the most of the demand for quality British goods.

Through our Export Strategy, my international economic department has set out an offer for all businesses to ensure they are able to make the most of the global opportunities this presents.

Export Strategy

Launched in August, the Export Strategy set out how DIT will support businesses of all sizes to make the most of the opportunities presented by markets around the world.

A government-led collaboration with business, developed after extensive engagement with a range of UK firms – the Strategy sets a new ambition from government to increase exports as a proportion of UK GDP to 35%.

ONS investment figures

Separate figures released this week by the ONS show the UK remains a top destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), with inward stock at the highest level since records began 12 years ago.

The figures show stocks from across Asia have increased by more than 33% in 2017 to £128bn and stocks from Japan increased by 71% to £78bn.

The greatest growth from any country has come from Indian investors, rising 321% to £8bn.

• The HMRC figures on number of exporters focus on Q3 2018 (July to September) and the comparison to Q3 2017 (July to September). HMRC figures on values of exports compare the year to Q3 2018 with the year to Q3 2017.
• The Export Strategy sets out how the government will support businesses of all sizes to make the most of the opportunities presented by markets around the world.
• Research shows that companies that export have increased growth potential, are more productive and have better paid jobs

Top 5 export markets for goods from the Midlands Engine were:

• USA (£8.8bn, accounting for 15.8% of total goods exports from the midlands engine)
• Germany (£6.0bn, 10.8%)
• China (£4.5bn, 8.0%)
• France(£4.2bn, 7.5%)
• Ireland (£2.8bn, 5.1%)

Top 5 export markets for goods from the Northern Powerhouse were:

• USA (£6.3bn, accounting for 10.6% of total goods exports from the northern powerhouse)
• Germany (£5.9bn, 10.0%)
• Netherlands (£5.2bn, 8.7%)
• France(£3.7bn, 6.2%)
• Ireland (£3.5bn, 5.9%)

The Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions – more commonly known as the Macolin Convention – aims to prevent, detect and punish match fixing.

It was signed today by Minister for Sports and Civil Society Mims Davies with Gabriella Battaini Dragoni, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General.

The Convention is the only treaty dedicated to fighting the manipulation of sports competitions.

Sports Minister Mims Davies said:

Match-fixing is a real threat to the integrity of sport. It is a crime that robs spectators of the pleasure of watching a contest that they can trust.

While I’m confident that we have a robust system in place to prevent match-fixing, we cannot be complacent. It is a cross-border issue, and only through a coordinated international effort can we mitigate the risks.

Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini Dragoni said:

I warmly welcome today the United Kingdom’s signature of the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions. This treaty is the only international legally-binding instrument against match-fixing, illegal betting, bad governance, insider information, conflicts of interests and the use of clubs as shell companies. This is a clear commitment by the United Kingdom to secure integrity in sport through our convention.

During the signing, the Minister welcomed the leadership shown by the Council of Europe in developing this Convention and highlighted the work of the Gambling Commission and the Sports Betting Integrity Forum in combating match-fixing in the UK.

The Convention encourages sports organisations and competition organisers to put appropriate measures in place such as adopting principles of good governance and educating athletes.

Richard Watson, Gambling Commission Executive Director for Enforcement and Intelligence, said:

We are pleased that the government has signed the Convention. It demonstrates our commitment to international collaboration in the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions and to protecting the integrity of both sport and sports betting in Great Britain”.

The UK Government has today strengthened its commitment to tackling match-fixing in sport by signing the Macolin Convention.