A hobbyist gold panner has been convicted for a second time for causing environmental damage to a river in Snowdonia, four years after his initial prosecution for the same activity. Brian Wright, 69, of Henley-on-Thames, was fined a total of £1,900 and ordered to pay £2,800 in costs after being found guilty of two charges relating to damage to the Afon Wen river bank and disturbing its bed.
At a hearing on Monday at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court, Wright was accused of digging up or removing soil, turf, leaf-mould, moss, peat, gravel, slag, sands, or minerals in October 2024. He was also accused of wilfully disturbing the river bed, bank, or shallows where spawn or spawning fish might be on December 16 of the same year.
The environmental organization Natural Resources Wales brought the charges, with prosecuting solicitor Dafydd Roberts stating that Wright had been repeatedly informed that gold panning was not permitted in the Afon Wen or any river managed by the organization. Roberts emphasized the substantial damage such activities can inflict on a fragile ecosystem.
Wright denied the charges, with his defense solicitor arguing that bylaws did not apply to the riverbed where he claimed to have found "specks" of gold, and that there was no evidence of spawn or fish being disturbed. However, District Judge Gwyn Jones heard evidence that the river supports brown and sea trout, salmon, and eels.
This latest conviction follows a previous case in May 2022, where Wright was found guilty of three offenses, including digging up or removing gravel, sands, or minerals, and operating a metal detector on forestry authority land. In that instance, he was fined £600 and ordered to pay £2,400 in costs after being caught in August 2021, reportedly in defiance of a sign prohibiting gold panning.
Wright, who is one of two trustees of the Gold Rivers Trust, a registered charity promoting gold panning culture, had previously argued that limited gold panning formed part of the area's cultural heritage and disputed the applicability of Forestry Commission bylaws to the Afon Wen, located in the area known as the 'Dolgellau gold belt.' The region earns its nickname 'Welsh Klondike' in reference to the 19th-century gold rush in Canada.
Following his latest conviction, Wright indicated that an appeal was being considered, describing the judgment as "puzzling." He also advised other potential gold prospectors that "there's not a fortune to be made in the Afon Wen" and warned of potential disappointment and the inherent risks involved in the activity.
In previous statements, Wright had advocated for a visitor center in North Wales to educate individuals on responsible and safe gold panning practices, noting the hazards of slippery rocks and potential injuries. He also recounted seeing numerous vans arriving in Mawddwy for gold prospecting. The largest gold nugget he claims to have found is about the size of a pea, which he has offered to donate to the royal family. Welsh gold is noted for its popularity, with its use in royal wedding rings.