Illegal 7,500-tonne waste dump discovered next to football stadium after locals noticed foul stench during heatwave
The 50-mile metre of rubbish is just a stone's throw away from Valley Parade, the 24,840-stadium which is home to League One football team Bradford City AFC
A 7,500-tonne mountain of rubbish has been discovered just yards away from a football stadium after locals noticed a foul stench during the heatwave.
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The 50-metre stretch of rubbish is just a stone's throw away from Valley Parade, the 24,840-stadium which is home to League One football team Bradford City AFC.
The Environment Agency is investigating the waste dump, off Midland Road in Manningham, and working to track down those responsible.
It came after residents said the smell was so foul that they were unable to open their windows during the recent heatwave.
Drone images show the stretch of waste running parallel to Midland Road, strewn with rubbish bags and rusty containers.
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A resident said locals were alerted to the dump when "a disgusting smell of rotten foods and waste" enveloped the area during the heatwave.
"We were not able to leave windows or doors open due to the disgusting and pungent smell," they said.
After residents got together to discuss the unpleasant odour, they realised that "strange" lorries had been spotted going in and out of the "locked-up" piece of land in the mornings and evenings.
The resident said: “I was able to catch a glimpse as it’s a big wall with a huge drop and vegetation on the other side and saw an excavator moving around huge black bags of waste.
“There was an artic (articulated) trailer as well as some sort of incinerator.
“That same evening I saw a removal truck outside the premises waiting to access the property.”
Officers from the Environment Agency – which is working with partners at Bradford Council, West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service – continue to investigate the site.
Ben Hocking, Area Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Our investigation into this disgusting illegal dumping continues at pace.
"We are following a number of leads and this has included seizing an HGV connected to waste movements.
"Waste crime will not be tolerated and we’ll continue to work closely with our partners to track down those involved.
They received the first reports of dumping on Wednesday, 1 July.
The EA is appealing for information from the public.
A heavy goods vehicle was seized on Wednesday in connection with the site.
The landowner has also been identified and officers are liaising with them to ensure the site is secure.
Councillors Muhammed Ali Islam, Muhammad Haseeb Khan and Mohammed Saliss, said they were "deeply appalled” by the incident.
They said the illegal dumping represented a " blatant disregard for our community and the environment".
"We will not tolerate anyone treating our community as a dumping ground," they added.
"We are aware of the ongoing investigation and sincerely hope those responsible are identified, prosecuted where appropriate, and held fully accountable for their actions."