A man has been fined for using his boat on the River Thames without registering it beforehand.

Carl Wych, of Ray Mead Road, Maidenhead, pleaded guilty to the offence at East Berkshire Magistrates' Court on April 19.

In 2023, he used his boat, Orion, on the River Thames without permission - as is required by law.

As a result, he was fined £200 and ordered to pay compensation totalling £1,056.21.

He must also pay £250 and an £80 victim surcharge.

Anyone who wishes to use a boat in the Thames must register and pay a fee to the Environment Agency.

Revenue generated from this goes towards the protection of the river.

Maria Herlihy, waterways manager at the Environment Agency, said: "We have enforcement officers patrolling the River Thames every day, checking boat registrations for the current year.

"If anyone has a boat on the river and hasn’t yet registered it, you are at risk of a fine.

"Registering your boat is easy and avoids entirely unnecessary additional costs arising from a day in court."