Illegal dumpers cover field in mountain of garbage
Witness
Fly-tippers have discarded a mountain of waste in a rural area in Oxfordshire.
The "environmental crisis developing in public view" is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.
The massive heap has appeared in a open area alongside the River Cherwell in the vicinity of Kidlington.
Elected official brought up the situation in parliament, saying it was "risking an environmental emergency".
Protection organization reported the unauthorized rubbish dump was created about a few weeks back by an illegal operation.
"This is an environmental catastrophe taking place in full view.
"Daily that elapses raises the danger of poisonous run-off getting into the waterways, poisoning animals and endangering the condition of the complete catchment.
"Environmental authorities must act now, not in extended periods, which is their typical action timeframe."
A restriction order had been put in place by the regulatory body.
It is hard to distinguish any specific bits of waste as it looks to have been shredded with earth combined.
A portion of the waste from the uppermost part of the heap has collapsed and is now just five metres from the waterway.
The River Cherwell is a branch of the River Thames, which means it travels through Oxford before connecting with the Thames.
Official recording
The MP petitioned the authorities for support to clear the unauthorized dump before it caused a fire or was carried into the river system.
Addressing parliament members on Thursday, he declared: "Illegal operators have deposited a huge quantity of unlawful plastic waste... weighing hundreds of tonnes, in my constituency on a floodplain next to the River Cherwell.
"River levels are increasing and heatmaps demonstrate that the rubbish is also warming, raising the risk of blaze.
"Regulatory body stated it has limited funding for regulation, that the anticipated cost of disposal is greater than the complete annual budget of the regional government."
Government official commented the government had assumed responsibility for a underperforming waste industry that had caused an "widespread problem of unlawful waste disposal".
She informed representatives the authority had issued a access ban to stop additional entry to the area.
In a announcement, the authority said it was looking into the situation and asked for information.
It said: "We share the community's frustration about incidents like this, which is why we respond against those responsible for waste crime."
A recently published investigation found initiatives to tackle major illegal dumping have been "extremely neglected" notwithstanding the problem developing into larger and more advanced.
A parliamentary committee proposed an independent "comprehensive" inquiry into how "endemic" waste crime is dealt with.
