ANGLIAN Water has been fined £8,000 after a court heard human error led to sewage being pumped into a scenic Suffolk river for several hours.Lowestoft magistrates were told the River Fromus, at Sternfield, near Saxmundham, was heavily polluted following a pump failure at the company's Benhall Sewage Treatment Works.

ANGLIAN Water has been fined £8,000 after a court heard human error led to sewage being pumped into a scenic Suffolk river for several hours.

Lowestoft magistrates were told the River Fromus, at Sternfield, near Saxmundham, was heavily polluted following a pump failure at the company's Benhall Sewage Treatment Works.

A householder first reported the fault at 11am on May 31 last year but workmen did not arrive until more than four hours later.

It later emerged the telephone call from the householder, who raised the alarm after spotting sewage leaking from a manhole, had not been directly passed on.

Samples taken of liquid discharging into the river showed ammonia readings were high enough to be classed as “grossly polluting”, leaving it grey in colour.

A slick of solids had built up against the plants in the householder's flower bed, including non-soluble items such as panty liners.

Anglian Water pleaded guilty to polluting the river, which flows through several important conservation sites.

As well as being fined, the company was ordered to pay Environment Agency costs of £2,365.