A pub giant has been fined £150,000 after its sewage treatment works polluted a watercourse in Teesside.

Spirit Pub Company Ltd, which runs the Cross Keys Inn pub and hotel in Guisborough, was prosecuted by the Environment Agency after investigations revealed sewage was not being treated effectively before being discharged.

The inn has an environmental permit which allows the hotel to discharge treated sewage into a stream.

However it pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching conditions of the permit and one charge of not sufficiently maintaining the sewage treatment works.

Jackie Frank from the Environment Agency said: “When our investigations found that the treatment works were discharging inadequately treated sewage into the stream we told the company to take immediate action but no steps were taken to make any improvements to the situation.

“There were no proper systems in place to monitor and maintain the performance of the works and their emergency procedures failed.”

She added the company has taken steps to ensure the proper operation of the facility, including an alarm to alert staff of a fault and daily checks since the incident last April.

Ms Frank said the fine should “act as a warning” to other operators with permits for private sewage treatment works.

Earlier this week, the Environment Agency appointed its new CEO.