People will be warned not to enter part of the river in Groudle Glen after a sewage leak from a nearby property resulted in it being polluted.

Anna Maria Kawalek, of Groudle Glen House, in King Edward Road, Onchan, appeared in court yesterday and pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a notice she received from Onchan Commissioners ordering her to renew, repair or cleanse a private sewerage works at her property in October 2015.

Ms Kawalek, whose age was not given in court, was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £1,500 prosecution costs. She must also pay £40 for each day the work remains uncompleted.

An inspector from the Department of the Environment, Food and Agriculture took samples from the river downsteam of the property which contained ‘contamination indicative of human activity’.

Prosecuting on behalf of the commissioners, advocate Kathryn Clough told the court that the failure to comply with the notice had resulted in an ‘imminent risk to public health’.

Ms Kawalek’s advocate David Clegg told the court that his client had instructed someone to assess what work needed to be done.

A statement from Bernard Warden of DEFA said: ‘There are intermittent water quality issues over a short distance downstream from the sewage outlet from the property involved.

‘I do not feel that it is necessary to close the glen, but the department will be installing signs to warn walkers that they, or any dogs they are in control of, should not enter the river within the signed area.

‘The department is working closely with Onchan District Commissioners and will be reviewing progress of the work required to address the problem.’

A statement from Onchan District Commissioners said: ‘The commissioners now expect that the owner of Groudle Glen House to immediately commence works to cease the pollution of the environment.

‘Due to the seriousness of the issue the board notes that there is a fine on a daily basis until the pollution of the environment ceases and the environment is cleansed to remove the risk to public health in this area.’

Read the full story in this week’s Isle of Man Courier.