Monmouthshire topsoil firm in court for newt habitat damage
Date of alert:
Sunday 19 March 2023
Crime Ref:
Force:
Wales - Gwent Police
A GWENT topsoil company has appeared in court after using "plant machinery" to dig at a site where a protected species of newt could be found.
Crown Hill Topsoil and Aggregates Ltd was brought before Newport Magistrates' Court on March 8, where a 50-year-old man, appearing on behalf of the firm, admitted one charge of damaging or destroying a breeding site or resting place of a wild European protected species.
Court records show the offence took place at Ifton Quarry in Monmouthshire, which is a breeding site of wild great crested newts.
Away from the court, Gwent Police said "an employee of the company excavated the habitat site using plant machinery, despite it being the subject of a great crested newt relocation programme" in June last year.
"This site at Ifton Quarry is regarded as one of the most important sites in the UK, and the loss of the great crested newts will significantly impact the species for years to come," the police added.
