A Surrey transport company has been ordered to pay a total of £6,867 after pleading guilty to polluting a stretch of the River Thames with oil.

VK Transport, from West Ewell, was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £2,852 costs, plus a £15 victim surcharge, by magistrates last week. The company faced one charge under Section 85 of the Water Resources Act 1991.

Kingston Magistrates’ Court heard that around 40 swans were affected by the pollution, which entered the River Thames in Kingston on July 14 2008. Members of the public informed Environment Agency officers that a large amount of oil could be seen on the Thames and a patrol boat was sent to investigate.

It was confirmed later the same day that the pollution was entering the river from a surface water sewer at Westfield Landing, off Portsmouth Road in Kingston, and that it had collected around a number of boats on a 500 metre downstream stretch. The Environment Agency attempted to clear up the pollution by placing oil absorbent booms around the area where the fuel was entering the river.

Following a detailed inspection of the area’s surface water system, with help from Thames Water Utilities Ltd, the pollution was traced to an address in Lower Marsh Lane, Kingston. This address is leased by the defendant and was the source of the pollution.

Environment Agency officer Peter Ehmann took oil samples from the site, which was being used as a vehicle maintenance yard. The site had an oil interceptor, which is designed to stop small spillages of oil from leaving the site. However it was so full of oil that it could not function properly causing thick black waste engine oil to run in to the surface water sewer system. The company admitted in court that it had failed to empty the interceptor, which meant  the interceptor failed to operate properly.

The surface water sewer system was confirmed to be linked directly to the outfall at Westfield Landing where oil was seen discharging the previous day. Samples taken of the oil discharging from this large outfall from behind the boom were analysed and shown to be consistent with the oil found at 56b Lower Marsh Lane.

Approximately 40 swans were affected by oil and the worst cases had to be rescued by the Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton. In his opinion a trustee of the sanctuary said had these swans not been rescued and treated, the worst affected would have died from swallowing the oil or the oil would have stopped their feathers being waterproof and they would have died of hypothermia.

Environment officer Peter Ehmann said:

“This incident resulted in significant damage to local wildlife and the general area. We were confronted with an unpleasant scene when we first arrived.

“Although a number of swans had to be rescued and cared for by the local swan sanctuary, it was fortunate that the pollution didn’t result in any fish mortality. Irresponsible handling of oil and disposing of oil down drains is totally unacceptable and we are pleased that the court has recognised this.”