Four men, including a 59-year-old from Liverpool, have been arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into a massive illegal waste dump in Wigan. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed that the arrests are "just the start" of efforts to tackle organised waste crime.
Arrests across the North West
Officers from Greater Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire Police, working to support the Environment Agency, secured the arrests on suspicion of environmental, fraud and money laundering offences. The other suspects are a 41-year-old man from Wigan, a 35-year-old man from Wigan, and a 24-year-old man from Leeds.
The notorious Bolton House Road waste site in Bickershaw has caused significant problems for local people for years. Reports of awful smells have blighted the area, and a week-long fire last summer forced nearby schools to close.
Prime Minister's response
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who is the Member of Parliament for the area, said: "I have stood on Bolton House Road and seen what local people have had to live with. It is shocking – an ocean of rubbish piled up next to a primary school, and families unable to escape the smell in their own homes. This is not fly tipping. This is organised crime, and it is local communities that are paying the price."
Environment Agency investigation
The Environment Agency's investigation is being led by its National Environmental Crime Unit, which is seeking to find those responsible and hold them to account.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: "The appalling dumping of waste at Bolton House Road and Cave's Inn Pits represents a blatant disregard for local communities and the environment. Tackling waste crime is one of my top priorities, and these arrests mark an important step in delivering justice for residents in Wigan and Shawell. This government is taking a zero-tolerance approach to waste crime. Through our Waste Crime Action Plan, we are giving regulators and enforcement agencies the powers and resources they need to break up criminal operations and ensure those responsible are held fully accountable for the damage they have caused."
She added: "I want to be clear to waste criminals: we are coming for you."
