An ornamental fish dealer has been fined for illegally importing sturgeon from Belgium.

Paul Hilliam was caught by vets at Dover bringing 200 fish into Britain in a tank in the back of his car on June 10 this year.

Hilliam, whose business is based near Uckfield, was unable to produce health check documents, Folkestone Magistrates Court was told.

The officers found a transport tank containing the fish, up to 15cm long, in the back of a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Hilliam admitted illegally importing the fish and failing to notify the relevant authorities.

He was fined £6,000 for two offences and told to pay £4,490 costs.

In passing sentence, the chairman of the magistrates spoke of the possible disastrous consequences of such illegal imports.

He said the court had a duty to protect the UK's fish from disease.

The sturgeon were kept in isolation and later humanely destroyed by a fish health inspector to prevent the risk of disease affecting fish in the UK.