A company has been fined £5,000 for polluting the River Brain with hydrochloric acid and killing more than 760 fish.

Bosses of Braintree Electro-Platers in Springwood industrial estate, Braintree, admitted polluting the river with 600 litres of the acid at Witham Magistrates' Court.

The company was fined and also ordered to pay £2,017 in costs.

Anne-Lise McDonald, prosecuting on behalf of the Environment Agency, told the court the chemical spillage happened on February 10, when a container, filled with 1,000 litres of hydrochloric acid, was being delivered to the company.

She said the delivery was unloaded on the main road because the safe delivery point at the yard was filled with customers' cars.

Mrs McDonald told magistrates the spillage happened when a valve on the container broke when it was being lifted by a fork-lift truck. Fire crews were called to the scene.

"Attempts were made to flush the acid down the road drain, which flows into the River Brain," she said.

"A total of 12,000 litres of water was used to flush the 600 litres of acid down the drain."

She added that the fork lift truck driver did not have access to protective clothing but pointed out that the company has fully co-operated with the Environment Agency since the incident.

One of the directors, Alan Joyce, who was representing himself at the hearing, said the company has put in procedures to rectify any problems.

He said: "It was an accident waiting to happen and it is unfortunate it has happened to us."

Chairman of the bench Roy Pipe said: "We have arrived at the £5,000 figure as we believe, having looked at the accounts, that it will have a substantial impact on the company.

"The fine and costs amount to half of last year's net profit."

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Published Tuesday, November 29, 2005

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