- Four men have been arrested in connection with "atrocious" large-scale illegal waste dumping, estimated at 25,000 tonnes, at a site in Wigan.
- The illegal operation near a school caused significant distress to residents due to foul odours and led to school closures during a week-long fire last summer.
- The government has pledged to directly fund the clean-up of the Bolton House Road site, which Wigan Council has already secured with concrete barriers.
- Two men, a 41-year-old and a 35-year-old, from Wigan, a 24-year-old from Leeds and a 59-year-old from Liverpool, were arrested for environmental, fraud and money laundering offences.
- One of the arrested men is also linked to illegal waste dumping at the Cave’s Inn Pits Site of Special Scientific Interest in Leicestershire, with investigations ongoing.
IN FULL
