'Industrial scale' 200-tonne mountain of waste found in Cheshire countryside

An 'industrial scale' mountain of 200 tonnes of waste has been found dumped in open countryside in Cheshire.

Police were left shocked after discovering the rubbish on a dirt track off Macclesfield Road, north of Congleton.

Officers from Cheshire Police's Rural Crime Team found an HGV carrying 35 tonnes of rubbish when they attended the site at around 6.20pm on Tuesday August 15.

The vehicle was seized and the driver voluntarily attended the local police station to be interviewed under caution.

The Environment Agency is now involved and police say enquiries are continuing.

PC Rob Stordy, from the Rural Crime Team, said: “Waste crime is just one of many crimes affecting our rural neighbours and the negative impact it has on the community should not be underestimated.

"That’s why our team works with the likes of the Environment Agency to tackle the issue. Criminals are very much mistaken if they think it isn’t an issue we take seriously – our team is always committed to finding those responsible and in doing so making Cheshire a no-go area for criminals who are not only a blight on our countryside, but a danger to our environment."

Jeni Brittlebank, Environment Agency Enforcement Lead for Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, said: “The Environment Agency is committed to tackling waste crime and will take strong action against those who break the law, to protect communities and the environment.

“While results such as this reflect the tough action we take our work does not stop here. We are working in partnership across the North West to fight waste crime and bring those responsible to justice."

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