TWO MEN have been fined more than £300 for fishing illegally in Salisbury last year.

Noel Delvin, 26, of Buckinghamshire, and Johnny Cash, 32, of Christchurch, were both charged with fishing without a licence in the River Ebble, near Salisbury, with an instrument other than a rod and line.

Both men pleaded guilty at Salisbury Magistrates Court last month and were each fined £200 and ordered to pay £115 in costs.

The rod and net used were also ordered to be forfeited and were later destroyed.

In July 2018, officers responded to a report of two men walking in the river with a yellow pole.

Officers located Devlin and Cash - Devlin was holding multiple fish threaded on a branch through their gills and Cash, once aware of the police presence, was seen to throw two fish into the river.

After being challenged by officers, the pair exited the river with a long wooden pole and a make-shift net.

A number of fish were found dead at the scene.

Wildlife Crime Officer PCSO Matthew Smith said: "There are no excuses for the small minority that don’t think the law applies to them and break the rules.

“Not only are offenders like Delvin and Cash cheating their fellow anglers and damaging the environment, but as in this case, they also risk a criminal conviction, a fine and losing their fishing equipment.”

Anglers can buy a rod licence online at gov.uk/fishing-licences.

Anyone witnessing illegal fishing incidents in progress can report it directly to the Environment Agency hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

Information on illegal fishing and environmental crime can also be reported to police on 101 or anonymously to Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.