The article reports that an organised group has dumped a large illegal waste pile on a floodplain between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington, measuring up to 150m long and 6m high. Shredded waste mixed with earth now sits within five metres of the river, prompting warnings about toxic run-off and fire risk. The Environment Agency has issued a restriction order and launched an investigation, while MPs and campaigners call for faster action and an independent inquiry into wider waste crime failings.
Huge Illegal Waste Pile Threatens River Cherwell Near Kidlington
The article reports that an organised group has dumped a large illegal waste pile on a floodplain between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington, measuring up to 150m long and 6m high. Shredded waste mixed with earth now sits within five metres of the river, prompting warnings about toxic run-off and fire risk. The Environment Agency has issued a restriction order and launched an investigation, while MPs and campaigners call for faster action and an independent inquiry into wider waste crime failings.
03:15 PM, 11/14/2025Environment
Illegal tip poses environmental and fire risks on Cherwell floodplain
A vast mound of dumped waste has appeared on a floodplain in Oxfordshire, between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington. Local campaigners describe the site as an "environmental catastrophe unfolding in plain sight," with the pile estimated at up to 150m (490ft) long and about 6m (20ft) high.
The charity Friends of the Thames says the tip appears to have been created by an organised crime group approximately one month ago. The dumped material looks to have been shredded and mixed with earth, making individual items difficult to identify. Some debris has already toppled from the top of the pile and now sits roughly five metres from the riverbank.
"This is an environmental catastrophe unfolding in plain sight," said Laura Reineke, chief executive of Friends of the Thames. She warned that each day the waste remains increases the danger of toxic run-off entering the river system, damaging wildlife and threatening the health of the entire catchment.
Calum Miller, Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, raised the issue in Parliament, saying criminals had dumped "a mountain of illegal plastic waste... weighing hundreds of tonnes" on a floodplain adjacent to the River Cherwell. He added that rising river levels and heatmaps showing the pile warming raise the risk of fire.
The Environment Agency has issued a restriction order to prevent further access to the site and says it is investigating and appealing for information. Officials have also warned that enforcement resources are limited, and that estimated removal costs could exceed the entire annual budget of the local district council.
Environment minister Mary Creagh told MPs the government had inherited a struggling waste industry that has contributed to an "epidemic of illegal fly-tipping." A recent House of Lords report and the Environment and Climate Change Committee concluded that serious waste crime has been critically under-prioritised and recommended an independent, root-and-branch inquiry into how endemic waste crime is tackled.
What happens next?
The Environment Agency has said it will take action where appropriate and has appealed to the public for information that could help identify those responsible. Local MPs and environmental groups are urging faster, well-resourced intervention to remove the waste safely and prevent contamination or fires that would further damage the river system.