Petition calls for urgent clearance of rubbish heap

Fly-tippers are thought to have started building up the mound of waste in the summer

Campaigners have launched a petition demanding urgent action to clear a mountain of fly-tipped waste and prevent an "environmental catastrophe".

The heap is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high and appeared on a field between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington.

The petition, started by Friends of the Thames, calls on the Environment Agency (EA) and government bodies to initiate an immediate emergency response to "prevent any further environmental harm".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday that "all available powers" would be used to make those responsible pay for the clean-up.

Fly-tippers are thought to have started building up the mound of waste in the summer. The Environment Agency said it became aware of it in July.

The landowner of the neighbouring site said he saw truckloads of rubbish dumped there every night for months.

The rubbish itself is made up of what appears to be processed domestic waste, shredded plastics, polystyrene, tyres, and other household items.

The petition, which has had more than 12,000 signatures since Monday, demands that urgent emergency funding is made available.

It said the illegally-dumped waste should be removed, "putting the protection of public health and local eco-systems first".

The petition also calls for the investigation to "strengthen enforcement to prevent future incidents" and for "all risks to drinking-water supplies, wildlife, and downstream communities" to be "fully addressed".

The Environment Agency said it had specialist teams at the site

Anya Gleizer, from the River Guardian Network, told the BBC: "We have an environmental catastrophe in plain sight right here, right now."

She called for the removal of the rubbish, as well as fencing at the base of the heap to prevent it "crumbling" into the river, and stopping plastics "and whatever else... entering the water system".

Ms Gleizer also said she wanted specialists to "test the chemical composition of the pile to know the nature of the risk and communicate that to the public".

"In the first instance that's what we really want to know," she said.

The EA said it was conducting a major investigation and was coordinating with Oxfordshire County Council, Thames Valley Police, and National Highways.

"Let's be absolutely clear: we have the resources, expertise and determination to deal with this situation effectively," it said.

It said it had teams at the site "conducting rigorous assessments of risks to the River Cherwell, monitoring environmental impact, and taking immediate action where needed".

The agency said: "We will continue this intensive monitoring and enforcement work until the site is secured, and any environmental damage is addressed."

It said it was "confident" it would track down those responsible, but could not "commit to a timeline for when the waste will be cleared".