ANGLERS caught fishing without licences have been ordered to pay a total of £1,000 in fines and costs.

Environment Agency bailiffs caught eight men fishing without licences during checks at Bradshaw Fisheries and Church Garden fisheries in Harwood last September.

All eight men admitted the offence when they appeared at Bolton Magistrates Court yesterday. They were each ordered to pay £70 prosecution costs in addition to fines.

Bernard Couthlan, aged 19, of Pimlott Road, Hall i'th' Wood, was fined £50; Sotirios Demosthenis, aged 39, of Hawthorn Road, Deane, was fined £75; Steven Haslam, aged 32, of Towers Avenue, Deane, was fined £40; Sean Marsh, aged 23, of Bond Close, Horwich, was fined £75; Paul Nicholls, aged 33, of Avondale Street, Brownlow Fold and Gareth Rothwell, of Gisburn Avenue, Johnson Fold, were fined £50 each; Kurt Walmsley, aged 38, of Victoria Road, Horwich, was fined £50 and Thomas Welsh, aged 24, of Croft Lane, Great Lever, was fined £50.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "Anyone over the age of 12 who fishes for salmon, trout, freshwater fish or eels in this country is legally required to have a rod licence. The money generated by rod licences is ploughed directly back into improving fisheries for all anglers."

Licences cost from £3.25 a day. For information visit www.environmentagency.gov.uk/rodlicence or call 08701162662.