The Environment Agency has launched a criminal investigation into about 30,000 tonnes of shredded waste buried under soil at Cave's Inn Pits near shawell in Leicestershire. Officers and Natural England staff found the material at the protected site last week, spread across an area the size of a football pitch.
Cave's Inn Pits near Shawell
Ian Jones, area director for the West Midlands at the Environment Agency, said: "This is a sickening case of large-scale illegal waste dumping, and we share the public's disgust." He added: "We have launched an investigation with Natural England to find the criminals and ensure they pay the price for their despicable actions."
The site is a site of special scientific interest on private land that was once a gravel works. Natural England said it was protected for neutral marsh, scrub, grassland and pool habitats, which support a diverse range of breeding birds. Phil Hukin, principal manager for Leicestershire and Rutland at Natural England, said: "This site contained some of the best remaining areas of neutral marsh in Leicestershire."
Natural England and Wildlife
Hukin also said: "It is heartbreaking to see one of England's precious sites of special scientific interest damaged like this." Work is now being carried out to mitigate the impact on wildlife, while air and water quality are being monitored and the public is urged to stay away.
The discovery leaves investigators trying to identify who buried the waste and who organised it, while the agencies focus on keeping the site stable enough to protect nearby habitats. The waste-crime case now sits beside a wider problem in the sector, but the immediate issue is the damage at Cave's Inn Pits and the effort to trace the people responsible.
