A ‘SICKENING’ 30,000-tonne illegal waste dump at a ‘precious’ protected site near Rugby and Lutterworth has sparked a major investigation to find the culprits.
Officers from Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England discovered household waste had been dumped at the Cave’s Inn Pits Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) near Shawell, following reports from the public of a foul odour.
At the site, the agencies believe there is around 30,000 tonnes of shredded waste concealed under soil, causing pollution to the SSSI.
The public are being urged to stay away from the site while the investigation continues.
Alongside the criminal investigation, the EA is assessing the waste to ensure there are no further environmental impacts, as well as monitoring local air and water quality.
Ian Jones, Area Director for the West Midlands at the EA, said: “This is a sickening case of large-scale illegal waste dumping, and we share the public’s disgust.
“We have launched an investigation with Natural England to find the criminals and ensure they pay the price for their despicable actions.
“We ask the public to stay away from the area, which is on private land, while we investigate.”
Phil Hukin, Principal Manager, Leicestershire and Rutland at Natural England said the site contained some of the best remaining areas of neutral marsh in Leicestershire.
He added: “It is heartbreaking to see one of England’s precious sites of special scientific interest damaged like this.
“Our officers are working closely with EA colleagues to investigate this appalling crime.”
Over the last year the EA has stopped 743 illegal waste sites, of which 143 were high risk. For the three years up to March 2025, 211 prosecutions have been secured against waste criminals.
The government has recently backed the EA’s enforcement budget by an additional £45million over the next three years to crack down on waste crime, which costs the UK over £1billion every year.
The government’s new Waste Crime Action Plan includes new measures such as clean-up squads for offenders and police-like powers for EA enforcers.
Anyone with information on the Cave’s Inn Pits waste dump is asked to report it to the EA incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
