Overview
- Investigators found about 30,000 tonnes of shredded household rubbish at Cave's Inn Pits near Shawell last week, spread over an area roughly the size of a football pitch.
- The dump sits on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a legally protected conservation area, where Natural England says rare neutral marsh habitat has been harmed.
- The Environment Agency and Natural England have opened a criminal investigation and are testing local air and water because of the risk of pollution to nearby waterways.
- Officials have closed the site to the public as residents report a strong, persistent stench that has curtailed regular walks and time outdoors.
- Authorities are asking for tip‑offs via the Environment Agency hotline or Crimestoppers, as reports place the incident in a rising trend of large‑scale fly‑tipping with 1.26 million cases recorded in England to March 2025.