Two men from Leicestershire have been found guilty of fishing illegally on separate occasions this year.

A court heard that on 24 March 2022, Kieran Wood from Leicester had been fishing on the River Soar in Leicester in the close season and without a licence.

Coarse fishing is prohibited in some of England’s waterways from 15 March to 15 June (inclusive) each year to protect vulnerable fish stocks while they are spawning.

In a separate case Thomas Roberts from Shepshed was found guilty of fishing without a licence at Butterley Reservoir, Derbyshire in February this year.

Both cases were brought to Northampton Magistrates’ Court by the Environment Agency on 1 August 2022.

Kieran Wood, 32, was proved guilty in absence and ordered to pay a total penalty of £619. The penalty includes a fine of £440 (£220 for each offence), costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £44.

Thomas Roberts, 24, pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a total penalty of £289. The penalty includes a fine of £120, costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £34.

Michael Alcott, Fisheries Enforcement Officer at the Environment Agency, said:

Kieran Wood and Thomas Roberts have been rightly punished for the illegal fishing they undertook in Leicester and Butterley Reservoir respectively.

Illegal fishing undermines the Environment Agency’s efforts to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable.  Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, benefitting anglers and, for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.

These cases show how seriously the courts take these offences and we hope the high penalties will act as a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws we have in place across England.

Anyone can report illegal fishing activities to the Environment Agency incident hotline 24/7 on 0800 807060.

Following several high-profile rulings by the Advertising Standards Authority, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) have issued a joint enforcement notice about the advertising of Kenalog injections on social media.

This enforcement notice warns all organisations offering Kenalog as a hayfever treatment to stop advertising it in any of their social media or website advertising.

Kenalog is a prescription-only medicine (POM), which must not be directly or indirectly advertised to the public. Kenalog is not licensed for the treatment of hayfever in the UK, although it is offered by some beauty and aesthetics clinics, under the personal responsibility of an individual prescriber, and advertised widely on social media.

Now, advertisers must ensure that all references to Kenalog in the text, images or emojis on social media are removed, as well as commonly-used descriptive phrases for the jab such as ‘hayfever injection’ or hayfever jab’ or any account names, testimonials or memes by 29 August 2022. After this date, the CAP’s compliance team will remove non-compliant ads using targeted software and those who continue to promote it may be referred to the MHRA for further enforcement action.

Kenalog is the brand name for triamcinolone acetonide and is a steroid injection that is licensed as a medicine for a number of conditions, though not for the treatment of hayfever.

Claire Tilstone, Head of Advertising at MHRA said:

Social media offers a powerful advertising tool for clinics but they must remain aware of the rules that surround it for medicines.

The advertising of prescription-only medicines in the UK is banned under UK advertising law and so clinics should now urgently review their websites and social media to ensure that they are not advertising the prescription-only medicine Kenalog, to avoid further enforcement action.

We would urge anyone who sees a clinic advertising it, to report it either to the MHRA or the Advertising Standards Authority, and always to consult a qualified healthcare professional to discuss options for hayfever treatment.

Shahriar Coupal, Director of CAP, has said:

Our enforcement notice, published jointly with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, makes it abundantly clear that Kenalog, as a prescription-only-medicine, should not be directly or indirectly advertised to the public. Our rules apply across media, but we are particularly concerned about the prevalence of Kenalog injection advertising on social media.

Through our use of technology and data science, we will proactively monitor and take enforcement action against any advertiser who does not stick to the rules so there is a level playing field for businesses and consumers are protected.

Notes to Editors

• Kenalog is not licensed in the UK for the treatment of hayfever. A prescriber during a consultation with a patient can make a professional decision to prescribe a medicine outside the indications stated in the medicine’s licence to meet the specific clinical needs of their patient. They do this on their own personal responsibility. This further information from the GMC and this article in MHRA Drug Safety Update might be helpful background. During the consultation, patients should be made aware of any risks of using a medicine ‘off-label’ in place of a licensed treatment.
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Victims and survivors of terrorist attacks will continue to receive the practical and emotional support they need, as the government announces further funding to four organisations providing this vital support.

Cruse Bereavement Support, the Peace Foundation, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Victim Support have been supported by government funding since October 2020.

Backed by this funding, these organisations have been able to set up a 24/7 support line, offer mental health assessments and referrals, provide bereavement support and establish long-term peer support networks.

Today’s funding extension will ensure that all victims of terrorism can continue to access these support services, regardless of when the attack happened.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said:

We recognise the victims of terror attacks can be affected in more ways than many of us could ever contemplate.

The continuation of funding will ensure those affected by terrorist attacks can be provided with a broad range of practical and emotional support in their attempt to work through these traumatic events.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of several horrific terrorist attacks that took place in 2017.

The Home Office’s Victims of Terrorism Unit recognises a victim to be anyone affected by a terrorist attack, whether that be someone who has suffered physical, mental or emotional harm, those who have been bereaved (including extended family members), witnesses and first responders to the scene of the incident.

The services are available to anyone affected by an attack in the UK, or those returning to the UK following an attack overseas.

Victim Support run a 24/7 support line to provide victims with immediate, practical, and easily accessible support. They can be contacted on 08 08 16 89 111 or via live chat

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust’s service focuses on outreach, screening, assessment and onwards referral for psychological treatments.

Cruse Bereavement Support provide bereavement support for victims who are not currently eligible to receive support under the Homicide Service.

The Peace Foundation facilitate a long-term peer support network for victims of terrorism and provide one-to-one casework support.

Further information about the support services available to victims can be found at victimsofterrorism.campaign.gov.uk.