Back in November, we covered the shocking discovery of a mountain of waste in Oxfordshire, just metres from the River Cherwell. At the time, we wrote about what it meant for anyone hiring a waste removal company and why checking credentials matters more than ever.
Now, there’s been a significant development.
Two men have been arrested in connection with the dump, and the details paint a troubling picture of just how organised illegal waste crime has become across England.
What Happened
Officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit arrested a 69-year-old man at a property in Andover, Hampshire, and a 54-year-old man in Slough.
Both were arrested for environmental offences and money laundering, which tells you everything about the scale of profit involved in this kind of operation. They’ve since been released on bail while investigations continue.
These arrests follow an earlier one back in November, when a 39-year-old man from the Guildford area was also detained.
The Environment Agency described this latest action as a “vital step” in understanding exactly what happened and who was involved.
The Scale of the Fly-Tipping Problem
The Kidlington dump alone is thought to contain around 21,000 tonnes of processed domestic waste, shredded plastics, polystyrene, tyres, and other household items, stretching roughly 150 metres long and standing 6 metres high.
Clearing it is expected to cost £9.6 million and take a full 12 months.
But this site is far from unique.
A BBC investigation revealed more than 500 illegal dumps across England, with at least 11 classified as “super sites” containing over 20,000 tonnes each. One site in Cheshire holds an estimated 280,000 tonnes.
Most sit on agricultural land in countryside locations, deliberately hidden from view.
According to police, many of these operations are run by organised crime groups. The business model is straightforward and lucrative: charge businesses far less than a licensed landfill would, pocket the fees, and dump the waste illegally at a cost to the environment.
Why This Matters if You’re Hiring a Waste Removal Company
The Environment Agency’s enforcement manager called the Kidlington dump “an atrocious and deliberate attack on our environment.” And while the agency is working to recover cleanup costs under the Proceeds of Crime Act, that £9.6 million bill falls on the public in the meantime.
What often gets lost in stories like this is the role of the businesses and individuals who handed over their waste in the first place.
Under UK law, you have a duty of care over your waste from the moment it leaves your property. If the company you hired turns out to be unlicensed and your waste ends up in a field next to a river, you could face prosecution too.
That’s not a scare tactic. It’s the law. And it’s why we’ve always been vocal about the importance of choosing a fully licensed and insured operator.
How to Protect Yourself
The arrests in Oxfordshire are welcome news, but they also highlight just how widespread the problem is.
Over 500 illegal sites across England alone, and the true number is likely higher because the Environment Agency doesn’t hold tonnage data for every known tip.
So how do you make sure your waste doesn’t end up in a pile on someone’s farmland? It comes down to a few straightforward checks before you book anyone.
First, ask for their waste carrier licence number. Every legitimate operator has one, and you can verify it on the relevant environmental agency’s website (SEPA in Scotland, the Environment Agency in England). If they can’t provide one or get cagey when you ask, walk away.
Second, look for proper insurance.
Public liability cover isn’t optional for professional waste removal. It protects you and your property if anything goes wrong during the job.
Third, be wary of prices that seem too good to be true.
Legitimate disposal costs money because licensed sites charge gate fees and landfill tax. If someone is quoting you a fraction of what others are charging, there’s a reason for that, and it’s rarely a good one.
What Junk-It Scotland Does Differently
At Junk-It Scotland, we’ve been SEPA registered and fully licensed since 2006.
We’re Alcumus SafeContractor accredited, fully insured, and our Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee means you get full traceability on where your items end up.
We do what we preach. Over 85% of what we collect is diverted from landfill through recycling, donation, and responsible processing.
We don’t say this to score points off a bad news story. We say it because cases like Kidlington show exactly why these credentials exist, and why you should demand them from anyone you hire to remove your waste.
If you’ve got items to clear and want the peace of mind that comes with using a trusted, licensed operator, get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote.
We’ll handle everything from lifting to loading to responsible disposal, and we’ll even sweep up after.
