In a field in Merseyside, we discovered evidence of “utterly shocking criminal activity”
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In a field in Merseyside, we discovered evidence of “utterly shocking criminal activity”
illegal waste dump in Knowsley(Image: LDRS)
Everything you need to know
- A Liverpool ECHO investigation has unearthed “utterly shocking criminal activity”, causing serious concerns about the potential health impacts on the community, and the enormous cost it will take to clean it up.
- Tens of thousands of tonnes of heavy duty rubbish have been dumped on a field near Kirkby. The scale of the site – estimated to contain approximately 30,000 tonnes of rubbish – makes it one of the largest illegal waste dumps ever found.
- The ECHO began to investigate after we received an anonymous tip off, and visited a site on the border of Knowsley and Liverpool, just off junction 4 as it connects to the M57. We found a shocking and horrific scene, which is currently being investigated by Merseyside Police, the Environment Agency and Knowsley Council.
- “Super size” illegal waste dumps like the one we discovered are becoming the focus of major criminal investigations, and cost England’s economy around £1 billion a year in damages.
- If it had gone unnoticed, a further 270,000 tonnes would likely have been disposed of, making it by far the largest illegal waste dump in UK history.
READ THE FULL STORY: It’s one of the biggest illegal waste dumps ever found – and it will cost millions to clear
