Tesco plc (LON:TSCO) has been fined £8mln by environment regulators after a fuel leak from one its petrol stations in the UK polluted a river, killing 40 fish and causing residents to fall ill.
The Environment Agency said 23,500 litres of petrol escaped from a tank over a 29-hour period in 2014 and contaminated River Irwell in Haslingden, east Lancashire.
Homes had to be evacuated as residents suffered sickness after the leak polluted waterways and the sewage system, the agency said.
Tesco was ordered to pay more than £57,000 in costs by the Preston Crown Court after it pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches and an environmental offence.
Tesco apologises for fuel spill...
The supermarket issued an apology, saying it had taken steps to prevent similar fuel spills in future.
“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,” the supermarket said.
"This was a deeply unfortunate isolated incident and one for which we have taken full responsibility."
Mark Easedale, environment manager for the Environment Agency, said the pollution had “a dramatically negative impact” on the community and the environment.
“The sentencing today 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,” he added.
County councillor Albert Atkinson, deputy leader of Lancashire County Council, said: "The fact 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 attending the incident."
Fine overshadows Tesco's first quarter results...
The news came at the same time as Tesco reported its strongest quarterly UK sales growth in seven years as the supermarket's restructuring under boss Dave Lewis continued to gather pace.
Tesco said it lured in customers during the first quarter by keeping prices low as it negotiated with suppliers to address rising inflation.