Dump in Kidlington: Criminals dump mountain of waste on countryside

Fly tippers have dumped a mountain of waste on an Oxfordshire field.

The “environmental catastrophe unfolding in plain sight” is up to 150 m (490 ft) long and 6 m (20 ft) high.

The huge pile appeared in a field between the River Cherwell and the A34, near Kidlington.

Calum Miller, Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, raised the issue in parliament, saying it “threatened an environmental disaster”.

Charity Friends of the Thames said the illegal rubbish tip was created about a month ago by an organized crime group.

Chief executive Laura Reineke said: “This is an environmental catastrophe unfolding in plain sight.

“Every day that passes increases the risk of toxic runoff entering the river system, poisoning wildlife and threatening the health of the entire watershed.

“The Environment Agency must act now, not in months or years, which is its usual reaction time.”

The Environment Agency had made a restraining order.

It is difficult to distinguish any particular residue, as it appears to have been crushed with mixed soil.

Some of the trash from the top of the pile has fallen and is now just five meters from the river.

The River Cherwell is a tributary of the River Thames, meaning it runs through Oxford before joining the Thames.

Miller asked the government for help in removing the illegal dump before it started a fire or was washed into the river system.

Addressing MPs on Thursday, he said: “Criminals have dumped a mountain of illegal plastic waste… weighing hundreds of tonnes, in my constituency on a floodplain adjacent to the River Cherwell.

“River levels are rising and heat maps show that waste is also warming, increasing the risk of fire.

“The Environment Agency said it has limited resources to enforce the law and the estimated cost of the removal is greater than the entire annual budget of the local district council.”

Environment Minister Mary Creagh said the government had inherited a failed waste industry that had caused an “epidemic of illegal waste dumping”.

She told MPs the agency had issued a restraining order to prevent further access to the site.

In a statement, the agency said it was investigating and asked for information.

It said: “We share the public’s anger at incidents like this, which is why we are taking action against those responsible for waste crime.”

A recent House of Lords report found that efforts to tackle serious waste crime have been “critically under-prioritised” despite the problem becoming larger and more sophisticated.

The Environment and Climate Change Committee has recommended an independent “root and branch” investigation into how “endemic” waste crime is being tackled.