Approximately 2,000 products, which equates to around 1,250 litres, were seized as unauthorised veterinary medicines.

These products were intended for the aquarium and pond fish market. The products had not been manufactured by a holder of a manufacturing authorisation.

The sale and supply of these products is an offence under Regulation 4 (Placing a veterinary medicinal product on the market), Regulation 26 (Possession of an unauthorised veterinary medicinal product) and Schedule 3, Regulation 27 (Supply of an unauthorised veterinary medicinal product) of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations.

An updated guidance document about the ‘interests of justice’ test is available for you to use when applying for funding.

Why is this important?

‘Interests of justice’ must be considered when applying for criminal legal aid.

The guidance we are making available is also used by our caseworkers when processing your applications.

How does the new guidance help?

Our intention is to provide guidance which clearly sets out what you need to know when considering the ‘interests of justice’ test.

This should help to reduce the number of applications being refused legal aid every year.

The document was prepared with help from both the Law Society and HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

What has changed?

The criteria to consider remains the same. However, there have been some changes in practice which are outlined in the guidance.

For example, the guidance clarifies the level of detail required in relation to previous convictions. We understand that providers won’t always have all the detail at the point of application. So, the guidance sets out the minimum required information.

Further information

Work out who qualifies for criminal legal aid – to download ‘LAA guidance on the consideration of defence representation order applications’

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In the last week alone, nearly 20,000 responses were submitted to the ‘Health & Harmony’ consultation which closed on Tuesday 8 May, with farmers, food producers and environmentalists sharing their views on everything from the support we give to farmers and food producers to the broader direction of policy post-Brexit when it comes to the natural world.

Throughout the 10 week consultation, Defra hosted 17 events across the country alongside groups including the National Trust, NFU and the Eden Project, to hear first-hand from more than 1,250 representatives of the UK’s food and farming sectors.

The Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

It’s great news that so many people have responded so enthusiastically to our consultation. Leaving the European Union gives us the opportunity to improve the support we give to Britain’s farmers. We can make farming more productive, improve the quality of the food we eat and enhance our natural environment. We’ll reflect on the many thoughtful ideas put forward in response to our consultation and bring forward our plans for legislation later this year.

The consultation included proposals to redirect payments under the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) which are based on the amount of land farmed, to a new system of paying farmers public money for public goods, principally their work to enhance the environment. It highlighted a number of public goods which could be supported such as biodiversity, high animal welfare standards and improved soil health.

A recent WWF poll, undertaken by Populus, found that 91 per cent of the UK public want to see farmers paid to protect nature.

Responses to the consultation will now be analysed carefully and the Government will publish a response shortly.

Environment Agency and Yorkshire & Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit carried out enforcement action at a residential address this morning (Tuesday 9 May 2018) following an in-depth investigation into illegal dumping of waste. One 46 year old male was arrested and evidence was seized.

This arrest follows successful enforcement action taken in April 2017 as part of an ongoing investigation into the illegal dumping of 20,000 to 25,000 tonnes of waste at 17 sites across the Midlands, North West and North East.

The investigation known as Operation Cesium is looking into illegally dumped baled waste at 17 sites. The investigation will continue with the evidence seized today and is expected to continue for many more months.

Michael Brown, lead investigator, part of the Environment Agency’s National Investigation Team said:

We are determined to tackle waste crime and bring those responsible to account; in this case we are thoroughly following and interrogating the evidence so that we have a robust case to take to court.

This investigation is complex, with waste being illegally dumped across many parts of the country, blighting those communities. Some of the sites have already caught fire causing a significant impact on communities, the environment and our emergency service partners.

Illegal waste and the criminals behind waste crimes divert as much as £1 billion every year from legitimate businesses and the treasury, which is why we take tough action against serious offenders. In 2016 our prosecutions resulted in fines totalling £8 million.

It’s our job to do everything we can investigate these crimes and prosecute those we believe responsible.

Convictions for waste crime can include large fines and a custodial sentence.

DC John Davies, of the Yorkshire & Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit, said:

We’re committed to working with our partner agencies to effectively investigate and relentlessly disrupt criminal activity.

By working together, we can utilise our collective knowledge, experience and powers to bring offenders to justice.

This investigation has been ongoing since 2016 and we will continue to examine the evidence to determine the full extent of the suspected offences in efforts to being those responsible to account.

Waste crime is taken extremely seriously. If anyone has information connected to this investigation or suspects other waste crime contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.