A TRIO of anglers who fished without a licence got into stormy waters when they were fined by magistrates.

The men, from Orpington, St Pauls Cray and Swanley, were each fined £100 with £75 costs at Maidstone Magistrates Court.

They were among six people unable to produce a valid anglers licence within seven days when asked to by Environment Agency fisheries officers.

Regional fisheries officer Tim Harrison said: Anglers fishing without a licence are not only cheating their sporting colleagues but can also face hefty fines if caught and prosecuted.

The Environment Agency will make every effort to catch those who flout the law. This judgement clearly shows it may cost licence evaders £175 if the are caught fishing illegally.

The cost of a full licence is £19 for an adult and £9.50 for a child.

Mr Harrison added: Cuts in government funding mean our work is increasingly reliant on income from anglers licences.

Licence dodgers are robbing both the environment and their fellow anglers.

The three men fined were Michael James Collins, aged 19, of Charter House Road, Orpington, Jason Hughes, aged 25, of Broom Avenue, St Pauls Cray and 37-year-old Lee Homewood, of Cranleigh Drive, Swanley.