A mountain of illegally dumped waste stretching 150 metres alongside the A34 in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, could have generated more than £500,000 in profit, a waste management expert has said. The rubbish, comprising shredded household and commercial materials including paper, card, and plastic, appears to have been accumulating since the summer.
Dan Cooke, Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, warned that growing numbers of “organised crime gangs” are involved in illegal waste dumping. He estimated: “By the dimensions and the rough calculations we’ve done, somebody could have made in excess of half a million pounds or thereabouts from a single incident like this. If you do the calculations taking out processing and transport costs, serious money is to be made.”
Mr Cooke added that those responsible face “unlimited fines and substantial jail terms” for committing such offences. The landowner of a neighbouring site reported seeing truckloads of rubbish being dumped every night for months.
The Environment Agency (EA) said it had acted “quickly and decisively” after first visiting the site in July. Initially, a cease-and-desist order was issued to the landowner before a court order obtained in October forced the site to be closed. The agency said it was “confident” it would track down those responsible but could not commit to a timeline for when the waste will be cleared.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the illegal rubbish heap as “appalling”, adding that “all available powers” would be used to ensure those responsible pay for the clean-up.
Mr Cooke said there was “every chance” those behind the dumping would be caught, as evidence within the waste could allow authorities to trace them. He also stressed that “we all have a duty of care all the way down the chain”, urging the public to ensure their waste is disposed of through licensed carriers and companies.
The case highlights a growing national concern over illegal waste disposal, with authorities warning that fly-tipping not only damages the environment but also represents lucrative opportunities for organised crime.
