A SUPERMARKET has been fined £8million after thousands of litres of petrol leaked into waterways killing dozens of fish and forcing people to evacuate their homes.

Tesco admitted breaching environmental laws after the leak from the petrol station at its Haslingden branch.

Preston Crown Court heard there were ‘significant and serious’ failings by the supermarket giant after the incident in July 2014.

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Prosecuting, Richard Bradley, told the court 23,500 litres of fuel escaped from a tank with around 16,500 entering the sewage system, Langwood Brook and then the River Irwell.

Dozens of people suffered nausea and headaches from the petrol fumes.

The supermarket chain was forced to pay out £20,000 compensation in one case.

Mr Bradley said there were four fuel tanks at the Syke Street site with the fuel pumped out under pressure rather than by a suction system. This meant extra control measures were needed to prevent fuel escaping.

The court heard a rubber connection used to transport fuel from the tank to the pumps had eroded.

But despite upgrading work being carried out at other Tesco petrol stations using the same methods, the Haslingden site was left off the list and no replacement work took place.

The court heard there were other failings that meant the leak was not detected and around 1,000 litres of petrol escaped every hour for around 29 hours.

Mr Bradley said a number of residents could smell petrol on the morning of July 3.

He said: “One recalled waking up to a strong smell in his home like white spirit.

“It was particularly strong around a sewer manhole. It was so strong he had to leave the property and stay with his mother for two nights.”

Another resident felt so unwell they went to A&E, while another was ‘worried about the risk to his health and the risk of an explosion’ so went to stay in a hotel, the court heard.

Another reported suffering a migraine, while her nephew was sick.

“Tesco has paid compensation to a number of households and in one case £20,000,” Mr Bradley said.

He said the Environment Agency found petrol present in the brook and the sewer system.

The brook smelt strongly and was an iridescent colour, while around 46 fish carcases were discovered in the River Irwell.

The presence of petrol was found three mile downstream, he said.

Defending Tesco, Mark Geoffrey Harris, said it was a ‘matter of consummate regret’ to Tesco and that it had made ‘significant errors’.

“Tesco apologises as strongly as it can for what has occurred and it accepts responsibility,” he said.

Judge Mark Brown said: “The risk of explosion was low though there is an issue between the experts about the risk of harm had there been an explosion.

"The prosecution expert said the risk was high and defence expert said it was low.

“There is no doubt in my mind the risk of death was high had there been an explosion."

He added the effect on residents health was short lived and it was suggested the River Irwell recovered within six months.

Judge Brown said it was a ‘very serious incident, that was entirely avoidable’ and there were ‘serious and significant failures to address the risk to health and safety’.

The company, whose fuel division had a turnover of around £5.5billion, was fined a total of £8million and ordered to pay costs of £57,152 after pleading guilty to polluting a watercourse and causing significant environmental impact."

A Tesco spokesman said: “We sincerely regret the fuel spillage incident at our petrol station in Haslingden and we’re sorry for the impact it had on the local environment, our customers and the community.

"This was a deeply unfortunate isolated incident and one for which we have taken full responsibility.

"Following the incident, we have inspected all relevant petrol stations, introduced a new real-time monitoring system and made a number of further improvements to protect against similar incidents happening again."

The incident sparked a huge multi-agency operation involving the Environment Agency, Lancashire County Council, United Utilities, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Lancashire Police. 

Mark Easedale, an Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said: “This pollution incident had a dramatically negative impact on the local community and the environment with Langwood Brook and the River Irwell severely affected.

"A week after the pollution incident an investigation by Environment Agency officers found fish populations in the River Irwell immediately downstream of Langwood Brook were around 90 per cent lower than those found upstream.


“The sentencing sends out a clear message to anyone whose recklessness causes serious pollution to the environment – we will be relentless in our investigations and take action wherever needed. 

“Our staff work 24/7 to protect people and wildlife from pollution incidents and we encourage people to report such incidents to the Environment Agency’s Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”


County Councillor Albert Atkinson, deputy leader of Lancashire County Council with responsibility for Trading Standards, said: "This was a major leak of fuel in a relatively built-up area and close to a busy superstore. The potential consequences are only too obvious.

"The fact that the leak was allowed to continue for more than 24 hours undoubtedly contributed to a risk of harm to people living and working nearby, as well as emergency services and other professionals attending the incident."