A FARMER who stored illegal poisons under his bed has been fined £7,000 and ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Allan Armistead, 74, of Oxen Park, Ulverston, appeared at Preston Crown Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to seven charges of possessing pesticides and three firearms offences.

The court was told that highly toxic chemicals – most of which were unopened – littered the premises, while four shotguns were being stored illegally.

Armistead said the situation was a result of neglect on his part due to a busy life spent almost single-handedly running his cattle farm.

Police and Natural England officers searched Armistead’s ‘unkempt’ home at Hulleter Farm after receiving a tip-off relating to an investigation into the poisoning and shooting of red kites in the area.

Brett Gerrity, prosecuting, said there was no evidence ‘whatsoever’ that Armistead was in any way connected to these incidents, but told of a ‘chaotic’ scene where he lived.

Three metal sealed flasks containing the highly toxic chemical phosdrin were found illegally stored beneath his bed.

Among the other substances illegally stored on the premises were phosloxyn, outlawed in 1995, and strychnine hydrochloride, banned in 2006.

The deadly gas sodium cyanide was also discovered in a room opposite the milking shed.

“This is extremely dangerous,” said Mr Gerrity. “It was contained in two sealed rusted tins. They had a chemical capable of producing cyanide gas on contact with air or water.”

Elsewhere in the house were two shotguns in an unlocked cupboard and a loaded 12 gauge shotgun, leaning against a wall.

In the attic was an illegal and unlicensed Lee Enfield rifle, which had belonged to his late father, who died 45 years ago, and an ‘extremely large quantity’ of ammunition.

In mitigation, Christopher Evans said the rifle had been kept for sentimental reasons and Armistead did not use it.

Mr Evans said: “The only person at any real risk was the defendant himself.”

Judge Graham Knowles QC said: “I have no doubt that you knew perfectly well that what you were doing was wrong.”