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A BBC investigation has uncovered hundreds of illegal waste sites operating across England, including at least 11 “super sites” containing tens of thousands of tonnes of refuse.
While more than 700 illegal dumping grounds were shut down in 2024/25, data released by the Environment Agency reveals that approximately 517 such sites remained active at the close of last year.
Among the most substantial sites yet to be remediated are a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall, a 36,000-tonne site in Kent, and a 20,000-tonne site in Oxfordshire.
The majority of these sites are situated in rural locales, often concealed and frequently located on land designated for agricultural use.
Law enforcement agencies report that many of these operations are managed by organized crime syndicates, generating revenue by undercutting legitimate waste disposal operators.
Legitimate, licensed landfill sites charge businesses site fees based on the volume and nature of waste, in addition to a landfill tax of just over £126 per tonne.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency affirmed the organization’s commitment to combating waste crime, stating that it is “pulling every lever to disrupt those who profit from the harm illegal waste sites cause.”
However, environmental advocacy groups and residents residing near these sites across England contend that insufficient action is being taken to clear the dumps, even in cases where the perpetrators have been identified and prosecuted.
In Gloucestershire, a significant amount of waste has been illegally deposited on land in Over.
According to witnesses who spoke with the BBC, the site near the Over roundabout saw 30-50 vehicles entering daily at its peak.
A fire in June 2025, which required the intervention of the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, largely curtailed operations at the site, although it remains unsealed.
Fires occur frequently at the site, which is situated near a busy main road and adjacent to a popular countryside park and farm shop. During a BBC visit, plumes of smoke were observed emanating from several locations within the dump.
While the Environment Agency is conducting an investigation, many local residents believe that insufficient measures have been implemented to apprehend those using the site for illegal dumping and to remediate the area.
Charlie Coats, chairman of Highnam Parish Council, described the site as a “significant blot on the landscape,” noting that pollutants are leaching into the floodplain of the River Leadon, a tributary of the River Severn.
He further stated that the lorries involved in daily dumping activities over the years have created road safety hazards, noise pollution, and general pollution.
“It’s caused a smell, there’s been smoke, there’s been noise. It’s damaged a lot of vegetation, trees and bushes have been destroyed, and it’s a significant blot on the landscape. Some of the pollutant material is leaching out into the water courses.
“Added to that, there have been incidents of spontaneous combustion where material has heated up and caught fire. The fire service has been called out on a couple of occasions to dampen that down.
“People are concerned that really there’s been no effective measures of control to stop this activity and no indication from the Environment Agency as to what they’re going to do,” he said.
The BBC was unable to reach the landowner but contacted one of the individuals believed to be using the Over site, who declined to comment.
An Environment Agency spokesman said they were “actively investigating” the dumping and had shared “as much information as we can with the residents of Highnam without prejudicing any further enforcement action”.
A substantial number of these illegal dumping operations across the country are controlled by serious organized crime groups. The prevalence of illegal waste activities in England prompted former Environment Agency chief Sir James Bevan to label it the “new narcotics.”
These gangs frequently deploy shredding equipment to rural locations, situated off otherwise quiet country lanes. These sites then experience a surge in lorry traffic, transporting waste ranging from household refuse to soil and aggregate from construction sites, which is processed into smaller, more easily disposable quantities.
The processed waste is subsequently transported and deposited in increasingly large mounds, buried beneath farmland or bridleways, or stored in barns.
Earlier this month, law enforcement seized nearly £100,000 in cash and arrested two men in a series of raids targeting suspected money laundering and waste crimes across Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire.
Officers also confiscated six firearms, suspected counterfeit electrical goods, and a suspected stolen vehicle.
One villager, residing near one of the raided locations in Worcestershire, informed the BBC that substantial quantities of waste were being shredded at the site before being dumped elsewhere.
“The environmental impact is just massive. Smoke comes up from the site daily and the smell at times is intoxicating.
“There have been times in the summer when we won’t let the children outside to play because of the smell from the site, because of the fumes that are coming off,” he said.
The resident, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation from those operating the sites, added: “We know that they’ve been found with weapons. I know the people behind it. I know what they’re capable of.”
Inspector Dave Wise, of West Mercia Police, acknowledged that waste crime is “not a problem that can be solved overnight.”
However, he affirmed that the force is conducting extensive investigations into organized crime syndicates with connections to money laundering and other financial crimes, as well as into individuals “profiting from pollution of the environment.”
The owner of the Worcestershire site declined to comment when approached by the BBC at his home but has previously stated that the land is leased to a tenant. The tenant has not responded to requests for comment.
Concerns about the scale of illegal waste activities gained prominence at the end of last year when approximately 20,000 tonnes of waste were illegally dumped on a field beside the A34 at Kidlington in Oxfordshire over a period of several months.
However, by using the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) to submit a data request, the BBC has discovered that there are at least 11 sites larger than 20,000 tonnes.
The actual number is likely higher, as the Environment Agency conceded in its response to the EIR request that “this figure is based on the data we hold; however, we don’t have this information for every site.”
Erica Popplewell, of environmental campaign group River Action, questioned why the details of the largest sites had only been disclosed in response to the BBC’s EIR request.
“Why is the Environment Agency not saying what’s happening more publicly so that we can see what actions they’re taking and the secrecy around dumping sites can be eroded?” she asked.
The Agency has previously declined to provide the exact locations of the largest sites to avoid prejudicing ongoing investigations.
However, it has now revealed that six of the largest sites are located at Northwich, Cheshire (280,000 tonnes); Camborne, Cornwall (50,000 tonnes); Burnley, Lancashire (25,000 and 50,000 tonnes); Sittingbourne, Kent (36,000 tonnes); Fakenham, Norfolk (originally 35,000 tonnes). Dumping has been halted at four of the sites, but none have been cleared.
In total, the agency reported that it had ceased activity at 743 illegal waste sites in 2024/25, of which 143 were classified as high risk, but that 517 active dumps remain.
Emma Viner, the Environment Agency’s enforcement and investigations manager, added: “We share the public’s disgust for the things that are happening and for the waste crime that we’re seeing and we are taking action.
“Every year, we’re shutting down hundreds of illegal waste sites.
“But it’s a dynamic picture. For all the waste sites that we’re closing, we’re seeing more and more pop up around the country.”
Baroness Sheehan, who chairs the House of Lords environment and climate change committee, which has been investigating waste crime, said the BBC’s research had “exposed widespread illegal waste dumping across the country”.
“Clearly, whatever actions the government is taking are not sufficient to deal with the problem,” she said.
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said: “We are working across government to wipe out illegal waste throughout the country and make those responsible pay.
“We are directly supporting the Environment Agency to stop the exploitation of our waste system, giving them more officers and 50% more funding to boost waste crime enforcement, and handing out tougher sentences for those who break the law.”
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Hundreds of illegal dumps are operating across England, including at least 11 so-called “super sites” containing tens of thousands of tonnes of rubbish, a BBC investigation has found.
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