Man arrested in connection with North East illegal waste dumping
32-year-old is being questioned in connection with illegal waste sites in Peterlee and Hartlepool, County Durham.
Photo of a suspect being arrested for waste crime offences
A man has been arrested as an Environment Agency investigation into illegal waste dumping in the North East continues.
The 32-year-old man was arrested at an address in Sunderland this morning (1 October) in a joint operation between Northumbria Police and the Environment Agency.
He is currently in custody being questioned in connection with the illegal dumping of waste at the former Dewhirst site, Thorpe Road, Peterlee, and at Hart Quarry in Hartlepool.
The arrest forms part of a wider investigation into three separate sites – these ones in Peterlee and Hartlepool and a third near Newcastle Airport at Callerton in Newcastle. Together the dumps amount to thousands of tonnes of waste.
As part of the government’s commitment to acting early to address illegal activity before it becomes established, the Environment Agency is stepping up its action on waste crime in its 10 point plan
In August, the government set out plans to shut down those behind waste crime, building on its Waste Crime Action Plan, including more Environment Agency officers on the front line, a steep increase in fines and tougher sanctions for the most serious offences.
Mark Rumble, Environmental Crime Team Leader at the Environment Agency, said:
This arrest is an important step as our investigation into illegal dumping in the North East continues.
Illegal waste sites are a blight on our communities and residents should not have to live next to eyesores and put up with the smells.
We have stepped up enforcement action with our 10 point plan and I want to make it clear that we’ll do everything possible to trace those suspected of being involved.
All three sites were reported to the Environment Agency over the summer. The Agency was quick to respond and, working with landowners, the sites were shut down and concrete blocks put in place to stop access.
Investigating officers have carried out searches at the sites, gathering evidence to help trace those responsible for each of them.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said:
We said the years of organised criminal gangs getting away with dumping waste were over, and today’s arrest shows we are delivering on that promise.
This arrest is a vital step in delivering justice for communities across the North East who have wrongly had to put up with these horrendous sites.
Through our crackdown, we are stopping the cycle of waste crime and putting more officers on the frontline to restore pride in our communities. We will bring waste criminals to justice.
Illegally dumped waste poses a risk to communities and the environment and undermines legitimate businesses that dispose of waste responsibly, as well as being costly for landowners. It is estimated waste crime costs the UK over £1 billion every year.
The Environment Agency is urging anyone with information about waste crime in the region, or anyone who sees suspicious activity, such as unusual HGV movements onto disused or open land, to get in touch.