Around 30,000 tonnes of household waste dumped across an area the size of a football pitch has been discovered at a protected site.
The public has been urged to stay away from Cave’s Inn Pits Site of Special Scientific Interest, near the village of Shawell in Leicestershire, while the “significant” amount of waste is investigated, the Environment Agency said.
The area where the shredded household waste has been dumped is “well-concealed”, the agency said, and was only found after members of the public reported a bad smell.
When Environment Agency and Natural England officers visited the site, they found layers of waste with soil used to cover it.
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Roughly 21,000 tonnes of illegal waste will be removed from Kidlington over the next six months, helping restore the area for local communities.
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Alongside a criminal investigation, the Environment Agency said it is assessing local air and water quality to prevent any further environmental impact.
Ian Jones, area director for the West Midlands at the Environment Agency, said anyone with information about the illegal dumping should call their hotline.
He said: “This is a sickening case of large-scale illegal waste dumping, and we share the public’s disgust.
“We have launched an investigation with Natural England to find the criminals and ensure they pay the price for their despicable actions.
“We ask the public to stay away from the area, which is on private land, while we investigate.”
Phil Hukin, principal manager for Leicestershire and Rutland at Natural England, said it was “heartbreaking” to see the extent of the dumping.
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He said: “This site contained some of the best remaining areas of neutral marsh in Leicestershire.
“It is heartbreaking to see one of England’s precious Sites of Special Scientific Interest damaged like this.
“Our officers are working closely with Environment Agency colleagues to investigate this appalling crime.”
Anyone with information can report it to the Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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