Overview
- The Environment Agency is investigating the 150m-long, 6m-high mound of shredded waste beside the River Cherwell near Kidlington and has restricted access for at least six months.
- Local MP Calum Miller raised the case in Parliament, warning of rising river levels, internal heating within the pile, and an elevated fire risk.
- Charities including Friends of the Thames describe the situation as an environmental catastrophe and say no visible containment measures are in place.
- Campaigners and officials attribute the dumping to organised criminal activity, with the mixed, shredded material complicating identification and cleanup.
- Ministers acknowledge limited enforcement resources, and Mr Miller has secured a meeting with environment minister Mary Creagh to discuss urgent next steps.