Residents' safety 'top priority' after huge waste dump

THE safety of residents near a mountain of illegal waste in Oxfordshire remains “our top priority’ the Environment Agency said as it outlined how it was securing, monitoring and managing the site.

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Work is continuing to look at options for removing and disposing of the 150-metre-long illegal waste tip in Kidlington, the Environment Agency (EA) said, although it could not give a timeline for when it would be cleared. The vast tip, pictured, in a field alongside the A34 and just metres from the River Cherwell, has provoked widespread outrage and has been declared a “critical incident” by the EA.

The agency found significant amounts of what is thought to be household and commercial waste including shredded paper, card and plastic when it first attended the scene in early July, and issued a cease and desist letter to stop further tipping.

When officers became aware of more dumping in October, the EA applied for and secured a court order to close down the site.

Earlier this week, a 39-year-old man from the Guildford area was arrested as part of investigations.