Illegal dumpers bury field in enormous heap of rubbish

Witness

Fly-tippers have deposited a huge quantity of rubbish in a rural area in Oxfordshire.

The "ecological disaster occurring in full view" is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

The massive heap has been discovered in a plot of land alongside the River Cherwell close to Kidlington.

A local MP brought up the problem in parliament, declaring it was "threatening an environmental emergency".

Conservation group reported the unlawful garbage pile was created around a month ago by an criminal network.

"This is an environmental catastrophe unfolding in plain sight.

"Each day that goes by raises the danger of hazardous seepage getting into the aquatic network, poisoning animals and threatening the health of the whole watershed.

"Environmental authorities must respond now, not in the distant future, which is their standard action timeframe."

Access ban had been established by the regulatory body.

It is hard to distinguish any particular pieces of rubbish as it looks to have been pulverized with soil blended.

A portion of the garbage from the uppermost part of the pile has fallen and is now merely five feet from the waterway.

The River Cherwell is a feeder stream of the River Thames, which indicates it travels through Oxford before connecting with the Thames.

Official recording

The official asked the administration for help to eliminate the illegal site before it triggered a blaze or was swept into the aquatic system.

Informing elected representatives on recently, he said: "Lawbreakers have discarded a massive amount of illegal plastic waste... totaling many tons, in my constituency on a riverside area adjacent to the River Cherwell.

"River levels are growing and temperature readings indicate that the waste is also heating up, raising the danger of blaze.

"Regulatory body reported it has restricted capabilities for enforcement, that the projected price of clearance is higher than the whole annual allocation of the regional government."

Environment minister said the authorities had inherited a struggling recycling sector that had caused an "widespread problem of unlawful dumping".

She told MPs the agency had issued a access ban to halt more entry to the site.

In a declaration, the agency stated it was looking into the situation and requested for evidence.

It said: "We share the community's frustration about situations like this, which is why we respond against those accountable for waste crime."

A recently published investigation found efforts to address serious environmental offenses have been "severely neglected" notwithstanding the problem becoming bigger and more sophisticated.

Government advisors recommended an independent "root and branch" examination into how "endemic" waste crime is addressed.