Two more arrests over vast mountain of illegal rubbish dumped in Oxfordshire
The mound of rubbish - full of shredded household and commercial waste such as paper, card and plastic - stretches for 150 metres
Two men have been arrested as part of an investigation into the illegal dumping of thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a field.
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A 69-year-old man was arrested at a property in Andover, Hampshire, and a 54-year-old man has been arrested in Slough in connection with the massive pile of rubbish tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.
The Environment Agency said the arrests were for environmental and money laundering offences and were a "vital step" in ongoing investigations.
The dump between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to contain 21,000 tonnes of waste in vast pile which is up to 150m long and 6m high.
It is just one of 517 illegal dumps across England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of waste.
A 39-year-old had been arrested previously as part of the investigation.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: "The illegal dumping of waste at Kidlington is appalling and has caused significant damage to the environment and distress to the local community.
"I welcome these arrests - an important step in securing justice for local residents.The government is committed to stamping out this type of criminality across the country, by boosting funds to tackle waste crime, hiring more officers and introducing tougher checks and penalties for those who break the law."
Drone footage of the site has shown the mound of rubbish - which the 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.
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The 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.
The EA 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'
A temporary boom – a floating barrier used to contain debris on water – was already in place, the agency said.
There has not yet been any evidence of “waste breakdown”, it added.
At a school breakfast club in Reading as the Government rolls out the free programme to 500 more primary schools, Sir Keir Starmer 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."
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.
