A farmer who was jailed for bulldozing a riverside beauty spot to protect a village from flooding has been sent back to prison after failing to overturn his sentence. John Price, 68, was caged for 12 months after he illegally used an 18-tonne digger to dredge a one mile section of the River Lugg near Leominster, Herefordshire.
A judge told him he had committed "ecological vandalism on an industrial scale" along a stretch of one of Britain's most important salmon rivers.
The Environment Agency said the damage was one of the worst cases of riverside destruction it had ever seen, which led to a "devastating" effect on local wildlife. Mr Price had claimed he acted in December 2020 to protect locals in the nearby hamlet whose homes had been devastated by previous floods.
But he was jailed for a year and ordered to pay costs of £600,0000 after being found guilty of seven charges of environmental damage last month. The multimillionaire farmer appeared at Worcester Crown Court and had his sentenced reduced from 12 months to 10 months following an appeal.
But Judge Nicholas Cole told Price he was not satisfied a suspended sentence could justified due to his "outrageous" and "persistent" behaviour. He added there was no justification for his illegal actions and he had acted in a "selfish and ignorant" manner as he "blatantly disregarded the law".
Judge Cole said: "The River Lugg rises in Wales and has been described as one of the best examples of a clay river in mainland Britain. As a result it supports a large collection of both river plant communities which in turn support a diverse population of invertebrates and fish.
"It's a core refuge area for otters. Native white claw crayfish are common. It also has 121 different species of plant life. In November 2020 Mr Price embarked on the works. He did so having hired an 18-tonne bulldozer and driver.
"This was used over several days in order to remove gravel from the river bed and push it up on the banks. Trees were uprooted and other vegetation removed and the river banks were reprofiled.
"The bulldozer was fitted with a GPS tracker by its owner and therefore it has been possible to ascertain its movements. Photos show it driving up the centre of the riverbed. The impact would have been to crush any fish eggs or any other life.
"It is clear that this traditional meandering river lined by trees had been turned into a canal. The defendant has at times asserted that his actions were as a result of his desire to reduce the risk of flooding.
"Subsequent investigation by environment agencies has found that his actions has made matters worse. There can be no doubt that these works had nothing to do with the reduction of flooding. It was in blatant disregard of the environment and the law.
"Some 70 odd trees were removed from the site of special scientific interest. It would take many decades for any replacement trees to reach maturity. We are quite satisfied that this defendant knew what he was doing at the time.
"These were all deliberate offences given that Mr Price intentionally breached and had a flagrant disregard for the law."
Judge Cole said these were not minor breaches, but strike at the heart of the legislation that served to protect the environment. He added it was clear from character references that Price, who has assets worth more than £20 million, is held in high regard and runs a successful farm.
But he pointed out that previous convictions for similar environmental offences meant he shouldn't be treated as a man of good character. Judge Cole said only a sentence of immediate custody was appropriate for the damage he had caused.
He added: "Only such a sentence will provide appropriate punishment. You will serve up to half of your sentence."
A court heard previously how Price had stripped a mile-long stretch of the bank of trees, destroying the habitats of otters, salmon, trout and kingfishers. Price, who owns land either side of the river, hired bulldozers and diggers to essentially turn a "traditional tree-lined river into a canal".
Environmentalists – including BBC Gardeners’ World host Monty Don – were among those who expressed their shock at the “complete obliteration” of the site. Natural England and the Environment Agency said it could take several decades for the damage and wildlife habitats be fully restored.
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."
Martin Quine, Environment Agency place manager for Herefordshire added: “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."
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 says 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.”
