The resident, who declined to be named, said the huge pile of rubbish at the junction of Crabbe Lane and Rebecca Road in Wadborough is now polluting the brook after wet weather washed it into the water.
Convicted waste criminal John Bruce has been linked to the waste being dumped at Wadborough but the Environment Agency say they are working with the new landowner to clear the site.
MESS: The brook near Crabbe Lane which was linked to waste criminal John Bruce (Image: Supplied)
Concerns about illegal waste sites have risen recently following illegal waste activity at Stone Arrow Farm in Peopleton and rubbish being dumped in unusual circumstances at Blackpole Recycling Limited in Worcester as convoys of lorries brought rubbish to the site through the night.
He said of the Wadborough pile: “It’s all shredded waste just spilling into the brook. It’s contaminated waste. The waste has been there for three years. I noticed it because of all the flood water coming down there.
“Although it’s not new, the wet weather has only recently dragged it down from the huge pile into the brook.”
The land at Wadborough has been linked to activities by convicted waste criminal, John Bruce.
Following a successful prosecution brought by the Environment Agency, Bruce was ordered to pay £2.1 million under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
MOUNTAIN: The pile of waste at Wadborough (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
Several of Bruce’s assets were seized, including Ridgeway Park Farm, Throckmorton airfield (this site is under the control of a court appointed enforcement receiver) and Crabbe Lane, Wadborough.
This site has recently been sold, and the Environment Agency is working directly with the new landowner to get it cleaned up.
A spokesperson said: “We take waste crime and any pollution it may cause very seriously. We have logged this as a potential pollution incident and will undertake an assessment.
“We will not hesitate to take enforcement action if required.”
We have previously reported how the colossal pile is stacked up about eight miles from Worcester off the B4084.
The pile, which lies behind a hedgerow and fencing, towers over a single-storey building inside the yard, locked up behind a padlocked gate.
One witness, who saw the mess while passing, said it has continued to grow over the last few years until it is now the size of ‘eight semi-detached houses’.
Both the local authority and the Environment Agency have powers to tackle fly-tipping and have agreed a fly-tipping protocol to address the important issues associated with the problem. The protocol sets out who will deal with different types of incidents.
Local authorities will deal with smaller scale, more frequent incidents, particularly those in the streets and the Environment Agency will deal with larger scale, more serious incidents of illegal waste disposal, fly-tipping of hazardous waste and tipping carried out by organised criminals.
Reports to the Environment Agency can be made using their National Hotline on 0800 807 060.