A pair of fishermen have been jailed after they were caught throwing an entire catch of 'illegal' lobsters overboard during an inspection.

Ashley Rescorla, 40, was skippering the Amber Mabel fishing boat when it docked in Padstow in April last year.

Two officials from Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (Cornwall IFCA) boarded the vessel - only to discover Rescorla and a crewman dumping a haul of lobsters in the sea.

Officers suspected illegally berried female lobsters - scrubbed to remove their eggs - were among the catch but were unable to hold onto any of the crustaceans for closer inspection.

In bodycam footage, inspectors can be heard repeatedly shouting 'stop, stop, you're on camera' and 'stop, Ash', before the skipper replies: 'I don't care.'

The law states any egg-bearing lobster must be returned to the sea straight away to protect the sustainability of the population.

The Amber Mabel was skippered by Rescorla and crewed by three other fishermen, including Andrew Prout and a teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Garry Ellis, a maintenance engineer, was also aboard the boat to make repairs.

Officers were reportedly subjected to 'verbal abuse and threatening behaviour' before leaving the vessel for their safety and calling the police.

Rescorla, of Padstow, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and received a 15-month immediate custodial sentence at Truro Crown Court on Thursday.

Prout, 36, of Dartmouth, pleaded guilty to affray and received a two-month immediate custodial sentence.

Ellis, 44, of St Austell, pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive, or insulting words and behaviour and received a one-month custodial sentence suspended for 12 months.

The teenage crewmate also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. During an earlier hearing at Youth Court, he was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £220 costs and surcharge.

Simon Cadman, principal enforcement officer for Cornwall IFCA described the collective actions and behaviours of the 'master, certain crew members and the maintenance engineer' during the routine inspection of the local fishing vessel as 'certainly the worst that has ever been experienced by Cornwall IFCA officers'.

He added: 'I can only assume that the master and crew knew they had illegal lobsters on board and believed that if they prevented them from being inspected, they could avoid an investigation and the potential for legal proceedings.

'They may not have considered that a conviction for perverting the course of justice or public order offences could lead to a more severe sentence, including imprisonment.

'As has been demonstrated here, Cornwall IFCA will not tolerate illegal and unreasonable behaviour that prevents its officers from carrying out their statutory duties.

'Perpetrators will be investigated and brought to justice for their indefensible conduct. I sincerely hope that our officers are never subjected to such a situation again and that the actions taken by Cornwall IFCA will dissuade any similar offending during inspections carried out by our officers in the future.'