A farmer as been handed a 12-month prison sentence for dredging a mile-long stretch of the River Lugg.

Kidderminster Magistrates Court sentenced John Price to 12 months in prison following an investigation and prosecution by Natural England and the Environment Agency. He was found guilty of seven offences relating to breaching a Natural England stop notice at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court.

On April 20, he was jailed for 12 months and disqualified from being a company director for three years. The cost of the damage to the River Lugg and the embankments was estimated to £600,000, which he must repay in 12 months.

Sentencing, Judge Ian Strongman said: "Any person could not fail to be dismayed by the devastation caused by Mr Price – he has turned it into a canal devoid of most life. It is ecological vandalism on an industrial scale. It was a desire to reduce the risk of flooding – some residents who live nearby are grateful to Mr Price for taking this action.

READ MORE: Farmer John Price to be sentenced for river Lugg damage in Kingsland

"The Environment Agency said the overall river level is as high as in recent years but Mr Price's actions have made things worse. It is total ignorance of nature and the environment," he added.

Natural England and the Environment Agency described the damage as the worst case of riverside destruction they had ever seen and could take several decades to be fully restored. Speaking after the verdict, Emma Johnson, the area manager for Natural England, said: “The destruction of this section of the River Lugg was devastating for the abundance and range of species which thrived in this river."

Mr Price (68), of Day House Farm, Kingsland, owns land either side of the Lugg with his assets valued at between £21m and £25m. He said he had taken action to prevent flooding, but experts from the Environment Agency said there was no such benefit from his destruction caused by the dredging that he undertook.