Overview
- Environment Agency officers, working with the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, arrested a 39-year-old man from the Guildford area in the investigation into large-scale illegal tipping near Kidlington.
- The National Environmental Crime Unit is leading the case, with multiple lines of inquiry under way and the location designated an active crime scene.
- Containment measures include a temporary river boom, newly installed large sandbags between the waste pile and the River Cherwell, and Heras fencing to prevent site access.
- The dump, on private land off Manor Park, stretches roughly 150 metres and reaches up to 12ft high, consisting of shredded household and commercial waste such as paper, card and plastic.
- Local politicians, including Sir Ed Davey and MP Calum Miller, are urging government-backed clearance, while the Environment Agency states it lacks a statutory duty to remove the waste but can compel those responsible to pay.