AN AWARD-WINNING fruit and vegetable firm in Bicester has been ordered to pay more than £26,000 after failing to recycle enough packaging.

Fresh Direct, based at Bicester Distribution Park in Charbridge Way, did not comply with regulations which meant it had to recycle a similar amount of waste as it produced.

At Bicester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, it admitted five offences of failing to register with the Environment Agency and five of failing to meet requirements to recover and recycle packaging waste.

All the offences dated from between 2001 and 2005.

The company was fined a total of £20,000 - £2,000 for each offence - and ordered to pay £1,706.94 in costs.

The court also awarded the Environment Agency £4,386 compensation.

Environment Agency spokesman Dave Ferguson said Fresh Direct was supposed to pay for an equivalent amount of waste as it produced to be recycled.

The rules apply to companies with an annual turnover of more than £2m, which handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging each year.

Chairman John Harris said: "We very much regret the outcome of this hearing, given that Fresh Direct is committed to a full recycling programme and is a company that, in turn, also encourages our suppliers to reduce their packaging requirements."

He said the company approached the Department for the Environment in 2001and received no response from the department until January of this year.