Southern Water has been fined £24,000 after discharging too much treated sewage into a stream.

It came after an Environment Agency investigation found that the company failed to meet its permit conditions at Tunbridge Wells North Waste Water Treatment Works in Dowding Way.

The firm was found to have exceeded the amount of treated wastewater it was allowed to discharge into nearby Somerhill Stream between July 2013 and 2014.

An Environment Agency spokesman said the breach caused oxygen levels in the water to drop, which could have had an effect on plants and fish.

Southern Water pleaded guilty to the charge under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010 at Maidstone Crown Court last month.

The water firm also agreed to pay costs of £33,218.

In mitigation, Southern Water stated it had already spent £360,000 on improvement to the treatment works and a further £6m was planned for the future.

The court accepted that there was no pollution or environmental harm as a result of the breach.

David Willis, environment manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We take these incidents very seriously and do everything within our powers to safeguard the environment and people that may be affected.

“We expect companies to take all necessary actions to comply with the conditions set out in Environmental Permits and welcome Southern Water’s commitment to spend a further £6m on planned improvement works."