More than 22,000 tonnes of waste have been cleared from an illegal dump in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, in a five-month operation that cost taxpayers £6m. The site, which the Environment Agency said was larger than the pitch at Wembley Stadium, was one of the biggest fly-tipping spots in the country.
Five-month operation
The illegal tip, just off the A34 in Kidlington, was 500ft long and filled with rubbish in the middle of the countryside. Around 22,000 tonnes of waste were dumped at the site in 2025 alone. The Environment Agency announced on Thursday that it had finished the operation to clear the waste.
The government has said it intends to recoup the £6m clean-up costs from the criminals behind the dump. The site was shut by officers in October 2025, and items such as household waste, shredded plastic and tyres were dug up during the operation.
Government crackdown
Prime Minister Andy Burnham last week set out a new plan to target criminal gangs running illegal waste sites, including making it easier for authorities to seize their assets. Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: "Communities deserves to be free from the blight of illegal waste dumping, and this clean-up shows we will bring hope back to local residents."
She added: "After years of waste crime being allowed to fester, we are taking decisive action through our crackdown, and cleaning up sites like Kidlington is just one part. By putting more officers on the frontline and using drones to catch offenders in the act, we’re putting the criminal gangs on notice that there is nowhere left to hide."
Security and ongoing investigation
Officials have placed concrete blocks at the entrance and padlocked the gates to block access to the former dump. The Environment Agency said its criminal investigation into illegal dumping at Kidlington is ongoing, with four people already arrested in connection with the site.
The government has also vowed to clear other notorious illegal dumps across the UK, including Bolton House Road in Wigan and Midland Road in Bradford. The crackdown on illegal dumping has included raising the maximum fine for rogue actors who dump waste illegally or fail to treat it correctly from £300 to £5,000. The Environment Agency has urged anyone with information on the Kidlington site to call the 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060 or report it to Crimestoppers.
