Prime Minister 'utterly appalled' by 'disgusting' 60 metre-long mountain of illegal waste dumped by fly-tippers
The Prime Minister has said he is appalled by the "disgusting" mountain of waste illegally dumped by the River Cherwell - and he wants to see it cleaned up as quickly as possible.
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Sir Keir Starmer backed the Environment Agency's criminal investigation into the vast fly tip in a field alongside the A34 in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, and said the regulator should use all its powers to get on with the clean-up of the site.
Drone footage of the site has shown the mound of rubbish - which the Environment Agency has described as shredded household and commercial waste such as paper, card and plastic - stretching for 150 metres through the field, while concerns have been raised of pollution into the nearby river.
The Environment Agency insists it has worked "quickly and decisively" since it first visited the site in July, issuing first a cease and desist order to the landowner, and then obtaining a court order in October to close down the site following further illegal dumping of waste.
It is pursuing a criminal investigation, and is undertaking monitoring and taking action to prevent pollution into the River Cherwell from the site, as well as mitigating safety risks around fire and flooding, officers said.
'Utterly appalled'
At a school breakfast club in Reading as the Government rolls out the free programme to 500 more primary schools, Sir Keir was asked about the Cherwell waste dump.
"I was utterly appalled, it's disgusting," he said.
"I'm really pleased there's a criminal investigation and I want to see that succeed, because the culprits need to be put before a court."
He added: "I think the Environment Agency needs to use all the powers at its disposal to get on with the clean-up," adding that should happen "as soon as possible".
The Environment Agency has said it does not have a duty to clear waste, but does have the powers to compel action, and its priority is to manage the risks posed by the rubbish and pursue those responsible to make them pay.
Local Liberal Democrat MP Calum Miller has called for the Government to issue a directive similar to that for Hoades Wood near Ashford, Kent, in 2024 which told the Environment Agency to clear up the site.