The farmer was hit by fines of more than £40,000 after swelling out of his fields, silt leaking in large quantities, closing major roads and polluting local rivers in dramatic environmental incidents.
David Mitchell pleaded guilty to let sediment-containing water flow from farmland to a tributary of the river under his control.
The pollution that took place at Hill Common near Taunton in Somerset occurred at two heavy rain events in August and September 2022.
The Environment Bureau described the spill as “to the ankle,” saying it had a serious impact on the backstream near Combe Florey, covering the “bank to bank” at the riverbed with a thick layer of layers.
At Taunton Magistrates Court on June 18, 2025, the judge concluded that a normal winter winter would take to clean the river naturally.
The field in question was rented by Mitchell and was growing potatoes, but at the time it had not yet been harvested.
In the event of thunderstorms and poor soil management, an estimated 50-100 tonnes of soil was lost from the slope.
Numerous potatoes, silt and mud headed towards the A358 and backstream, forcing two separate occasions to close busy roads, and emergency crews eliminated drains and removed the large amount of debris.
In court, Mitchell was ordered to pay £9,078 in fines and costs within 12 months, based on his financial measures.
I also heard he had already paid more than £35,000 in compensation and cleaning costs, including payments of £1,128.10 to drivers affected by the new equipment and road closures.
The Environment Agency confirmed that a similar incident occurred just a month ago, leading to the closure of the A358.
After the initial incident, Mitchell was provided with silt fencing, advice and guidance funded by the Somerset Rivers Department.
However, only a small section of fencing was used and not installed according to the advice given. Furthermore, soil groups placed at hay bales and bases of fields were found to be ineffective.
Investigators also found potatoes planted up and down the slopes of the field. This is an agricultural practice known to increase the risk of erosion.
Environment Agency’s David Womack said Mitchell was responsible for the land leased until the harvest, and so was responsible for how it was managed.
“He chose to grow high-risk crops in fields with light soil and sloped,” he explained. “As an experienced potato farmer, he should have identified the risks of using this field and taken reasonable steps to prevent large-scale soil losses.”
Womack added that no formal risk assessments have been conducted, no effective measures have been implemented to prevent erosion, and that environmental damage is “highly likely” even under moderate rainfall conditions.
