Overview
- A 39-year-old man from the Guildford area was arrested on 25 November after cooperation between the Environment Agency and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, and he remains in custody.
- The site is being treated as a live crime scene with Heras fencing, booms and large sandbags in place, 24-hour security on site, and ongoing monitoring of the River Cherwell.
- Fire and rescue teams have checked the waste for heat hotspots, and authorities report no evidence yet of waste breakdown as environmental assessments continue.
- The Environment Agency first attended on 2 July, issued a cease-and-desist, then secured a court order on 23 October to close the site, after which no further tipping has occurred.
- The dump is about 150 metres long and largely shredded household and commercial waste on a floodplain near the River Cherwell, with politicians pressing for central funding as removal costs are reported to exceed £25 million.