Man arrested over fly-tipped mountain of waste

A man has been arrested over the huge pile of fly-tipped waste dumped in a field in Oxfordshire.

The Environment Agency (EA) said a 39-year-old man from the Guildford area had been held in connection with the pile of rubbish in a field near Kidlington.

The EA previously declared a critical incident over the situation.

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

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

Anna Burns, the Environment Agency's area director for The Thames, said: "The appalling illegal waste dump in Kidlington has rightly provoked outrage over the potential consequences for the community and environment.

"We have been working round the clock with the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit to bring the perpetrators to justice and make them pay for this offence.

"Our investigative efforts have secured an arrest today, which will be the first step in delivering justice for residents and punishing those responsible."

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

In a statement, the Environment Agency said: "After officers became aware of continued criminal activity on site in October, a court order was sought and granted to close the site.

"Since this was granted on 23 October, no further tipping has taken place. 

"For both safety reasons and because the site is now a live crime scene, members of the public should avoid entering the site."

The Environment Agency said it had specialist teams at the site

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.

Phil Davies, head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, said: "We would ask that the public and media do not speculate about the identity of any other individuals who may be connected with the offending at this location, or interfere with the waste on site as we continue to treat it as an active crime scene.

"The Environment Agency is continuing its work to protect the community and environment from the impacts of this crime, conducting rigorous assessments of risks to the River Cherwell and monitoring any impacts on the ground."

The heap of waste was described as "appalling" by the Prime Minister

The Environment Agency says water quality testing has been taking place in the area and there has been no evidence of waste breakdown.

The site remains closed to the public and media to protect the investigation and prevent environmental risks.

A recent House of Lords report found efforts to tackle serious waste crime have been "critically under-prioritised" despite the problem becoming bigger and more sophisticated.

The Environment and Climate Change Committee recommended an independent "root and branch" inquiry into how "endemic" waste crime is tackled.

Local MP Calum Miller has called for the government to issue a directive similar to the one used for the huge amount of waste illegally dumped at Hoades Wood near Ashford, Kent, which told the EA to clear up the site.

It was estimated that the heap of waste in Kent could take up to a year to remove.