A criminal investigation has been launched after 59,000 tonnes of household rubbish was illegally dumped in woodland near the village of Ranskill, Nottinghamshire. The site, larger than a football pitch, surrounds a lake adjacent to two nature reserves and was discovered by the Environment Agency (EA).
Nottinghamshire County Council has issued a Stop Notice and Planning Enforcement notice to prevent further waste from being deposited. The EA confirmed that waste crime has become a 'major and growing problem' across the country, and a criminal probe is now under way.
Local residents said they were unaware of the scale of the dumping due to the efforts made to conceal it. One resident, Mary, 64, described the situation as 'absolutely disgusting' and expressed hope that those responsible would be held accountable. Chair of Ranskill Council, Dan Simpson, noted that suspicious activity had been observed for around 12 months, with unmarked lorries using a newly created access road. He added that councillors and members of the public had been abused when trying to approach the site.
The EA spokesperson stated: 'The challenge posed by waste crime has grown and we are working hard to tackle this blight on our environment. Working with the County council, we have stopped any further dumping at this site. A criminal investigation is now ongoing, and we will do everything in our power to find those responsible and bring them to justice.'
Councillor Bert Bingham, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said the council became aware of the issue in December 2025 and served enforcement notices in March 2026, requiring the waste to be cleared. The EA encourages anyone with information to call their incident hotline.
