A DOUBLE pollution spill near Winchester has cost a Hampshire salad processing company more than £12,000.

Geest has admitted two charges of causing chlorine-contaminated effluent to enter a tributary of the River Alre near Old Alresford on April 7 and May 31 last year.

Magistrates at Basingstoke yesterday heard that the contamination from the Geest factory at Manor Farm was discovered after many fish died at a nearby fish farm. The cause of that pollution was never proved.

environment Agency staff monitored the tributary and on 11 occasions between April 6 and 7 chlorine was found.

A survey of the area later in April found that the freshwater shrimp population was affected.

On May 31, an agency officer took a routine sample near the firm's other plant at The Nythe, Old Alresford, and chlorine was again found.

Magistrates were told that chlorinated water is used in the washing of salad crops for supermarkets.

A sample of 0.02 mg per litre can kill trout. The agency found levels as high as 0.4 - that is 20 times as high.

The firm said it had only owned the factory for a month before the first incident and it was its first appearance for an environmental offence.

A risk assessment prior to the purchase had not revealed chlorine as a problem.

Geest was fined £4,000 for the first offence, £8,000 for the second and ordered to pay full costs of £1,080.