Land spreading reminder after operator fined

Press release

The Environment Agency is reminding operators to take precautions to ensure the correct processes are in place when spreading on land.

Image shows the sewage sludge which has been spread on the wrong land

Waste material was spread on to the wrong land

It follows a case where a farmer was fined and ordered to pay costs totalling more than £2,000 for mistakenly spreading sewage sludge on neighbouring fields.

Richard Taylor, 58, of Great Bavington Farm, Great Bavington, Newcastle, appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court last month where he pleaded guilty to breaching an environmental permit by depositing controlled waste.

The court heard that in September 2019, agricultural contractor Richard Taylor’s had been contracted to spread sewage sludge on behalf of Northumbrian Water in accordance with the Sludge Use in Agriculture Regulations 1989.

The company’s tractor drivers mistakenly spread the sludge on a neighbouring field at Stanley belonging to a farmer who was then unable to cultivate the land for a significant period.

The court decided to reduce the fine to account for the substantial loss in business suffered by Mr Taylor as a result of the incident leading to the loss of the spreading contract.

Timely reminder

Neil Paisley, Senior Agricultural Officer at the Environment Agency in the North East, said:

With land spreading season approaching it’s a timely reminder for operators to ensure they follow the correct procedures to ensure they spread safely and in the correct place in accordance with their environmental permits.

Land spreading waste to land is an alternative source to traditional fertilisers. We have environmental permits in place to protect the environment from these activities and will take action against anyone who breaches environmental law. In this case it has proven costly for both the operator and the owner of the land.

Sewage sludge is a waste material that has undergone a number of treatment processes and controls and can be applied to land under The Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989.

Land spreading the waste material to land reduces the reliance on manufactured fertilisers. The activity is permitted by the Environment Agency to ensure it does not impact on the environment, and there is limited controlled wastes that are allowed to be spread.

Pollution incidents can be reported to the Environment Agency on their 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060.

Published 17 June 2021



Fishing Minister visits historic fishing port of Brixham

On 15 and 16 June, Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis visited Brixham, one of England’s busiest fishing ports to witness the outstanding work carried out by local industry. Meeting with traders, processors and fishing industry representatives, Minister Prentis had the opportunity to discuss some of the current issues facing the industry.

The fact-finding trip began with a virtual roundtable meeting attended by local industry. Minister Prentis heard more about the range of opportunities and challenges facing them including the impact of Covid-19, changes to export requirements, the need for effective management of non-quota stocks and the importance of international quota swaps.

This morning, Minister Prentis visited Brixham’s iconic fish market and later met Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA), the Marine Management Organisation and the Fishermen’s Mission to discuss the management of local fisheries and fishermen’s welfare.

Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis said:

It’s been a pleasure to visit this historic and vibrant fishing port and see first-hand the community’s contribution to the UK economy across fishing and seafood processing. I was delighted to hear of the opportunities, innovative ideas and meet some real entrepreneurs.

Brixham is an important part of Britain’s future as an independent coastal state and with £100 million of government funding earmarked for investment in the industry, we are committed to supporting fishermen and coastal communities to make the most of the new opportunities outside of the EU.

Barry Young, Managing Director of Brixham Trawler Agents also commented:

We’re very pleased to welcome Minister Prentis to Brixham today. We’ve had the opportunity to showcase the diversity and quality of the fish and seafood caught, landed, sold and processed in the area and talk about the opportunities for the sector.”

Following a tour of the harbour and two fishing vessels, Minister Prentis had the opportunity to visit the Blue Seafood Company, who process crab, to see their operation and discuss current trading conditions.

During this visit, Minister Prentis reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting the fishing industry to the make the most of the opportunities that come from the UK’s departure from the Common Fisheries Policy.



Findings from COVID-19 round 12 REACT-1 study published

  • Almost 109,000 volunteers tested in England between 20 May and 7 June 2021 as part of one of the most significant coronavirus (COVID-19) studies in the world
  • Despite the success of the vaccination rollout, report shows the prevalence of COVID-19 infections was rising rapidly during late May and early June, coinciding with Delta becoming the dominant variant

Findings from the 12th report of REACT-1, one of the country’s largest studies into COVID-19 infections in England, have been published today (Thursday 17 June) by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI.

Almost 109,000 volunteers were tested with PCR tests in England between 20 May and 7 June to examine the levels of COVID-19 in the general population. The latest data shows infections in England have increased by 50% since the last REACT-1 report period, between 15 April and 3 May.

The main findings from the 12th round of the REACT study show:

  • between rounds 11 (15 April to 3 May) and 12 (20 May to 7 June), national prevalence has increased from 0.10% to 0.15%
  • exponential growth with a doubling time of 11 days and an R number of 1.44 in England during round 12
  • the highest prevalence was found in the North West at 0.26%, up from 0.11% in round 11; and lowest prevalence in round 12 was in the South West at 0.05%
  • prevalence is highest in 5 to 12 and 18 to 24 year olds, rising from 0.16% to 0.35% and from 0.10% to 0.36% respectively
  • prevalence in those aged 5 to 49 was 2.5 times higher at 0.20% compared with those aged 50 and above at 0.08%
  • at the beginning of February, the link between infection rates and deaths started to weaken. In late April, infection rates and hospital admissions started to reconverge, however, when split by age, the weakened link between infection rates and hospitalisations for ages 65 and over was maintained. The trends converged for the younger age group who are less likely to be fully vaccinated.

This latest REACT-1 report also details which variants were detected in swab-positive test samples. Data suggest most COVID-19 infections are now the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. Public Health England’s (PHE) latest weekly data also shows cases of Delta now account for 90% of UK cases.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

These findings highlight the stark context in which we took the difficult decision to delay step 4 of the roadmap out of lockdown.

Cases are now rising, but thanks to our incredible vaccination programme and enhanced response package including surge testing, we have the tools to curb the spread of this virus.

We all must hold our nerve that little bit longer as our vaccine rollout continues and I urge everyone to keep observing hands, face, space and fresh air, and make sure you receive both doses of the vaccine for the best possible protection.

New data published this week by PHE shows the AstraZeneca vaccine is 92% effective against hospitalisation from the Delta variant after 2 doses, and the Pfizer vaccine is 96% effective against hospitalisation after 2 doses.

On Monday, the government confirmed a delay to unlocking step 4 of the roadmap which means all current legal limits on social interactions and restrictions on large events, performances and life events (with the exception of weddings) will stay in place until 19 July, although if the data rapidly improves this could be brought forward to 5 July, giving the population more time to be protected from COVID-19 through vaccination.

Professor Paul Elliott, director of the REACT programme from Imperial’s School of Public Health, said:

We found strong evidence for exponential growth in infection from late May to early June in the REACT-1 study, with a doubling time of 11 days on average for England. These data coincide with the Delta variant becoming dominant and show the importance of continuing to monitor infection rates and variants of concern in the community.

Kelly Beaver, Managing Director, Public Affairs at Ipsos MORI, said:

The rise in cases picked up by the REACT-1 study is concerning and is being fed into government decision making in real time. While the rise is small, the increase of the R number to over one highlights that number’s potential to increase rapidly, an important reminder to get vaccinated when you can. I’d like to thank the almost 2 million members of the public who’ve taken part in the REACT-1 study since it began a year ago for helping provide this crucial piece of evidence to government.

This report is the latest from the REACT-1 study which was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care and carried out by a world-class team of scientists, clinicians and researchers at Imperial College London, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Ipsos MORI.

Robust population surveillance studies like this are essential to understanding the rate of COVID-19 infection, how the virus is spreading across the country and the impact of measures taken to contain the virus in order to inform current and future actions.

See more information on the Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission (REACT) programme of work.

This study falls under pillar 4 of the COVID-19 National Testing Programme, which focuses on mass surveillance in the general population.

Find more detail on enhanced support in some areas.



MHRA recalls contaminated Irbesartan and Losartan batches as precautionary measure

Press release

Patients should not stop any treatments without consulting their doctor or pharmacist

The MHRA today has issued a recall for 31 batches of Irbesartan-containing medicinal products and 2 batches of Losartan-containing medicinal products due to contamination with azido-tetrazole (a substance that can potentially increase the risk of cancer over time).

This is a precautionary measure to prevent further exposure and there is no evidence that this impurity has caused any harm to patients. The recall is for pharmacies and wholesalers and is not a patient-level recall. Suddenly stopping medication for high blood-pressure can be risky, so patients are advised not to stop any treatments without consulting their healthcare team.

The MHRA has already contacted UK licence holders for the affected batches, who have been asked to quarantine the affected stock while the investigation continues. We continue to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that an adequate supply of these products remains available for patients.

See all batch numbers at Class 2 Medicines Recall: Bristol Laboratories Limited, Brown & Burk UK Ltd, Teva UK Ltd, Irbesartan-containing and Losartan-containing products, EL (21)A/14

Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive, said:

Patient safety is our watchword. We’re recalling batches of certain sartan-containing products as a precautionary measure while we continue our investigation. It’s important that healthcare professionals check their stock to quarantine and return these batches.

If you’ve been taking one of the affected products, speak with your doctor or pharmacist before stopping any treatment – they can address any concerns and can advise you on the best course of action.

Previous recalls of these types of products in 2018 and 2019 are part of an ongoing investigation. The MHRA is working with other medicines regulators on this issue.

Notes to editors

  • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 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.
  • Sartan-containing medicines are indicated for essential hypertension, heart failure, and treatment of renal disease in adult patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus as part of an antihypertensive regimen

Published 17 June 2021



AAIB Report: G-LAWX, controlled flight towards terrain, Warwickshire

News story

On approach to landing in reduced visibility just before night, a Sikorsky S-92A (G-LAWX) descended to within 28 ft of rising terrain close to a house. During the subsequent emergency climb at low indicated airspeed, engine torque increased to 131% and the pitch attitude was unstable, 14 October 2019.

G-LAWX FDR data for first approach

On an approach to a private landing site in conditions of reduced visibility shortly before night, the pilots of a Sikorsky S-92A (G-LAWX) became uncertain of their position and the helicopter descended to within 28 ft of rising terrain close to a house. During the subsequent emergency climb at low indicated airspeed, engine torque increased to 131% and the pitch attitude of the helicopter was unstable. The helicopter made another approach to the landing site and landed without damage or injury to the occupants, 14 October 2019.

The investigation identified the following factors: • Standard operating procedures for altitude alert setting, stabilised approach criteria and crew communication were either absent or not effective,

• a strong desire as a customer-facing director not to inconvenience the client, which was potentially in tension with his obligation as the commander to ensure a safe flight,

• uncertainty about the Rules of the Air when landing, and

• attitudes, behavioural traps and biases likely to have contributed to the occurrence.

The circumstances of this serious incident indicate the need for greater awareness of the hazards of operating in degraded visual conditions and highlight the potential safety benefits of Point-in-Space approaches at landing sites.

The AAIB has made eight Safety Recommendations in these areas.

Read the report.

Media enquiries call: 01932 440015 or 07814 812293

Published 17 June 2021