Fly-tippers cover open land in mountain of rubbish
Local resident
Fly-tippers have deposited a massive amount of rubbish in a rural area in Oxfordshire.
The "environmental crisis developing in full view" is around 150m (490ft) extending and 6m (20ft) high.
The huge mound has been discovered in a field next to the River Cherwell near Kidlington.
Elected official brought up the problem in parliament, saying it was "posing risk of an ecological catastrophe".
An environmental charity stated the unauthorized rubbish dump was created approximately a month ago by an illegal operation.
"This represents an environmental catastrophe taking place in full view.
"Daily that goes by increases the danger of poisonous drainage reaching the aquatic network, polluting animals and putting at risk the wellbeing of the whole watershed.
"Environmental authorities must act promptly, not in months or years, which is their standard reaction time."
Legal prohibition had been implemented by the Environment Agency.
It is challenging to distinguish any individual bits of rubbish as it seems to have been pulverized with earth combined.
Some of the waste from the peak of the heap has fallen and is now just five metres from the river.
The River Cherwell is a tributary of the River Thames, which signifies it flows through Oxford before meeting the Thames.
Official recording
The official asked the government for support to remove the unauthorized dump before it triggered a blaze or was carried into the water network.
Informing elected representatives on this week, he said: "Illegal operators have discarded a mountain of unlawful polymer rubbish... weighing substantial weight, in my constituency on a water-adjacent land next to the River Cherwell.
"River levels are increasing and heatmaps show that the waste is also heating up, elevating the danger of fire.
"Regulatory body stated it has limited resources for enforcement, that the estimated expense of removal is greater than the whole annual allocation of the municipal authority."
Cabinet member commented the authorities had taken over a struggling disposal business that had resulted in an "growing issue of unlawful waste disposal".
She advised representatives the authority had served a restriction order to stop additional access to the area.
In a announcement, the agency stated it was investigating the matter and requested for details.
It commented: "We share the public's anger about incidents like this, which is why we take action against those responsible for illegal dumping."
A recent report discovered attempts to address serious waste crime have been "severely overlooked" notwithstanding the problem developing into more extensive and more sophisticated.
A parliamentary committee recommended an autonomous "root and branch" inquiry into how "prevalent" waste crime is addressed.