Anglers are being urged to obey the law after a Lincolnshire man was ordered to pay more than £600 for fishing illegally.

Shaun Hammond, 28, of Mariners Arms Flats, Keadby, was caught fishing without a licence at Hibaldstow Bridge on the River Ancholme in October last year.

He was discovered by an Environment Agency enforcement officer carrying out a routine patrol to enforce the law and protect the environment for people and wildlife.

Hammond committed an additional offence by refusing to give his name and address to the officer.

Enforcement officers are considered in law to be the same as police constables. Obstructing one effectively doubled the amount Mr Hammond was fined.

Hammond was proved guilty in absence at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court on 9 February. He was fined £440 – £220 for each offence – and ordered to pay costs of £127, as well as a victim surcharge of £44, bringing the total penalty to £611.

Caroline Tero, fisheries team leader at the Environment Agency, said:

Not only was Mr Hammond fishing illegally, he also obstructed a law enforcement officer who was doing his duty to protect the environment for people and wildlife. We and the courts take this very seriously and will always look to protect the wellbeing of our officers.

It makes no sense to have the embarrassment of a court visit, a criminal conviction and a bill for potentially thousands of pounds when an annual licence is currently just £30. We hope this will make people think twice before picking up a rod illegally and if they don’t, our officers are ready and waiting.

Steve Powell, Enforcement Once team manager for the Environment Agency, said:

The case acts as a reminder of the importance of having a fishing licence – and shows how seriously the courts take these offences. We hope the outcome will deter any angler who is thinking of fishing without a licence.

The yearly fishing licence Mr Hammond required would have cost just £30. Other types of licence are available, including one-day for £6, eight-day for £12, and a free one for those aged 12 to 16.

The money from licence sales supports fish, fisheries and fishing, and protects the future of angling. A small number of people refuse to buy one, cheating the sport and their fellow anglers.

For the minority who flout the rules, the most common offence is fishing without a valid licence, which could land them with a fine of up to £2,500 and a criminal record.

Last year in England, the Environment Agency checked more than 63,000 fishing licences and prosecuted 2,330 for rod and line offences, resulting in fines in excess of £335,000.

Any angler aged 12 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. They are available online via gov.uk or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386.

The Dhaka ODMV is part of UK Visas and Immigration’s proactive approach to constant improvement in customer service.

The ODMV uses the UK Visas and Immigration’s mobile Biometric Enrolment System (BES) equipment to take biometric data (finger scans and digital photograph). This service is delivered by the UK Visas and Immigration’s commercial partner, VFS Global.

Alison Blake, British High Commissioner, said:

“UK Visas and Immigration seeks constantly to improve the service we offer. I am delighted to announce that the UK is the first country to launch the VFS Global mobile facility in Bangladesh.

“This service allows Bangladeshis to submit their visa application and biometric data outside our current network of Visa Application Centres.

“For customers in Dhaka, it means they no longer have to travel to the Visa Application Centre in Dhaka to submit their applications.

“Bangladesh and Britain are close friends and partners and this development is a further step in enabling stronger people-to-people relationships.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

On Demand Mobile Visa service is optional and applicants will have to pay an additional fee.

Updated: Added report: State of the environment: air quality.

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns will today emphasise the UK Government’s commitment to supporting the oil industry during a visit to Pembrokeshire today (19 Feb).

The Secretary of State will visit and tour Valero’s refinery in Pembroke, where Vice President and general manager, Edward Tomp will update him on the company’s operations.

He will then undertake a tour of the site to see up close the 220,000 barrel per day facility that is one of the largest fuel manufacturers in northwest Europe and one of the largest employers in the region.

With a workforce of over 500 people, with hundreds more employed as contractors, Valero refinery plays a pivotal role in the prosperity of the West Wales economy.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Alun Cairns will underline the company’s continued investment in its Pembroke site as a testament to the strength of its people and the confidence it has in the business environment in Wales.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

The oil industry is crucial to the UK’s future energy security, economy and our cross-government industrial strategy.

The contribution the Valero refinery makes to the regional and wider economies in Wales and the UK cannot be underestimated. Be it through job creation or community engagement, Valero plays a pivotal role in the lives of the people who live in this area.

I want to make it clear that this industry has the full support of the UK Government.

As one of the Wales’ largest industrial sectors with one of the most highly skilled workforces in the world, we are determined to continue to work together to secure its long-term success.

We will continue to ensure that we have the right policies in place to generate the necessary investment in energy infrastructure whilst ensuring important investors like Valero in Wales and the rest of the UK remain competitive.

Edward Tomp, Vice President and General Manager at Valero Pembroke Refinery said:

Valero is delighted to welcome the Secretary of State to Pembroke Refinery, so he can see for himself the impressive work being done day in, day out in West Wales in this vital industry. Being responsible for 15% of Welsh exports Valero is a major part of the economy in Wales and we are grateful for the UK Government’s continued support for the downstream oil sector, which is key in terms of economic growth, employment and energy security for Wales and the UK.

• PM to warn against “outdated attitude” that favours academic over technical qualifications
• new education review will break down “false boundaries” to look at whole post-18 system
• review to identify ways to help young people make more effective choices when they leave school
• PM will acknowledge concerns with the current funding system and pledge to make it fairer
• speech will set out PM’s vision for an education system that truly serves the needs of every child

Theresa May will urge people to “throw away” the “outdated attitude” that university is the only desirable route for young people and that going into vocational training “is something for other people’s children”.

In a speech in Derbyshire to launch a wide-ranging review into post-18 education, the Prime Minister will call for a parity of esteem between academic and technical options so we can “create a system of tertiary education that works for all our young people”.

She will say that “means equality of access to an academic university education which is not dependent on your background, and it means a much greater focus on the technical alternatives too.”

The government-led review – supported by an independent, external chair and panel – will identify ways to help people make more effective choices between the different options available after 18.

This could include giving young people better guidance about the earning potential of different jobs and what different qualifications are needed to get them, so they can make more informed decisions about their futures.

For those who retrain during their career, the review will also look at how to support flexible life-long learning, including part-time and distance learning.

The PM will pledge to use the review to look at “the whole post-18 education sector in the round, breaking down false boundaries between further and higher education, so we can create a system which is truly joined up.”

She is expected to warn that while significant progress in education reform over recent years has succeeded in driving up school standards and improving the choice and quality of technical education, the current post-18 system is not working as well as it could be – for young people or for the country.

The Prime Minister will continue: “For those young people who do not go on to academic study, the routes into further technical and vocational training today are hard to navigate, the standards across the sector are too varied and the funding available to support them is patchy.

So now is the time to take action to create a system that is flexible enough to ensure that everyone gets the education that suits them.

There are now record numbers of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university, and the government is determined to build on this progress.

The Prime Minister will say today: “One of the great social achievements of the last half-century has been the transformation of an academic university education from something enjoyed almost-exclusively by a social elite into something which is open to everyone.”

She will set out her commitment to continuing to ensure “that people from all backgrounds share the benefit of university study.”

On the question of student finance, the Prime Minister will acknowledge that many young people, their parents and grandparents, have serious concerns – which she shares – about aspects of the current system.

She will confirm that the review will examine the whole system of student funding – including how it provides value for money, both for students and taxpayers, and how students and graduates contribute to the cost of their studies.

She will say: “The competitive market between universities which the system of variable tuition fees envisaged has simply not emerged. All but a handful of universities charge the maximum possible fees for undergraduate courses. Three-year courses remain the norm. And the level of fees charged do not relate to the cost or quality of the course. We now have one of the most expensive systems of university tuition in the world.”

She will also note that the goal of making university truly accessible to young people from every background “is not made easier by a funding system which leaves students from the lowest-income households bearing the highest levels of debt, with many graduates left questioning the return they get for their investment.”

And she will say that the review “will examine how we can give people from disadvantaged backgrounds an equal chance to succeed. That includes how disadvantaged students and learners receive maintenance support, both from government and universities and colleges.”

Recalling her maiden speech in Parliament in 1997, in which she set out her belief that the aim of education policy should be to “provide the right education for every child”, the Prime Minister will use today’s speech to restate her long-held view that “education is the key to opening up opportunity for everyone.”

And she will say that, by building an education system which unlocks everyone’s talents, “we can build a country that truly does work for everyone.

She will add: “A country where your background does not define your future, and class distinctions are a thing of the past. Where a boy from a working-class home can become a High Court judge, thanks to a great state education. And where a girl from a private school can start a software business, thanks to a first-class technical education.

That is my vision for a fairer society and how we will deliver it. A society where good, rewarding work is available for everyone. An economy with the skills it needs to succeed.

Britain as the Great Meritocracy, a country that respects hard work, rewards effort and industry, where a happy and fulfilled life is within everyone’s grasp.

The panel’s report will be published at an interim stage and the review will conclude in early 2019.