Fly tippers have dumped a colossal "mountain of illegal waste" in a field near Kidlington, Oxfordshire, with environmental groups warning it could represent an "environmental catastrophe".
The rubbish heap stretches approximately 150 metres in length and towers up to 6 metres high, containing hundreds of tonnes of shredded materials including plastic, foam and wood mixed with earth.
Local anglers first spotted the waste last month in the area near the River Cherwell, as it encroached into the water.
Calum Miller, Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, told Parliment: "Criminals have dumped a mountain of illegal waste weighing hundreds of tonnes in my constituency on a floodplain adjacent to the river Cherwell.
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He continued: "River levels are rising and heatmaps show that the waste is also heating up, raising the risk of fire.
"The Environment Agency said it has limited resources for enforcement.
"The estimated cost of removal is greater than the entire annual budget of the local district council," Mr Miller despaired.
Friends of the Thames chief executive Laura Reineke condemned the illegal dumping as "an environmental catastrophe unfolding in plain sight".
Fly-tippers dump river of illegal waste in ‘catastrophic’ | KIDLINGTON ANGLING SOCIETY
"A mountain of waste has been allowed to build up just metres from the river Cherwell – an illegal landfill sitting on the floodplain of one of our most important waterways.
"Every day that passes increases the risk of toxic run-off entering the river system, poisoning wildlife and threatening the health of the entire catchment."
Ms Reineke claimed that no visible containment or mitigation measures appear to be in place.
"The Environment Agency must act now, not in months or years – which is their usual reaction time.
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The rubbish was dumped in a field near Kidlington, Oxfordshire
|"This is exactly what happens when environmental crime is ignored – and it’s our rivers, wildlife, and communities that pay the price," she said.
Friends of the Thames said the culprits behind the act may be an organised crime group.
The Environment Agency has initiated a specialist investigation into the illegal dumping, implementing access restrictions whilst appealing for public information through Crimestoppers.
"We share the public's anger about incidents like this, which is why we take action against those responsible for waste crime," an agency spokesman stated, confirming their officers are working to identify those responsible.
During Thursday's parliamentary session, Mr Miller pressed Environment Minister Mary Creagh to "meet me urgently to discuss what support the Government can offer to avoid an environmental disaster."
Ms Creagh acknowledged inheriting what she termed a "failing" waste system that has triggered an "epidemic of illegal fly-tipping" across the country.
The Labour minister agreed to meet Miller whilst confirming that restriction orders had been implemented to prevent additional dumping at the site.
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