LANDOWNER Andrew Wickens has been fined £4,000 after being found guilty of damaging rare orchids in meadows at Sutton Benger.

Wickens, 30, of Bramley, Hampshire, pleaded guilty at Trowbridge Magistrates Court on February 25 to damaging the protected Sutton Lane Meadows.

The court heard Wickens was in the process of buying Sutton Lane Meadows from a local farmer when he committed the offence in June 2002.

Despite being aware that the land had been classified by the Government as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Wickens drained an ancient pond on the land, and dumped spoil from the pond on the meadow, endangering many species of rare plants and herb life, including southern marsh orchids.

Prosecuted by English Nature under new provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Wickens must now pay the £4,000 fine, £1,000 costs and restore the meadows to their former condition.

Covering an area of almost nine acres, Sutton Lane Meadows is one of Wiltshire's most important hay meadows, providing a habitat for thriving colonies of both orchids and meadow saffron, which is only found in one other Wiltshire grassland.

This was the first prosecution of its kind and marks a major victory for English Nature in its fight to preserve England's dwindling SSSIs.

English Nature spokesman Tim Frayling said: "More than 95 per cent of protected areas like Sutton Lane Meadows have been lost since the Second World War. But this case shows that we are prepared to use our enforcement powers where necessary, to deter anyone thinking of damaging our wildlife sites."

Kay Taylor of Sutton Benger Parish Council said she and other members of the council were very pleased with the outcome of the prosecution.

"We were 100 per cent behind English Nature's actions," she said. "However, English Nature has informed us that we may have to wait for a full change of the seasons to see the full extent of the damage which has been done.

"The meadows are very well-respected in the village and are appreciated by many walkers. The thought that they were being damaged was very worrying for everyone."

Wickens is now believed to be considering selling Sutton Lane Meadows to the National Trust. Ms Taylor said that the parish council would welcome any move which would promote the continued well-being of the land.

dwaite@newswilts.co.uk