Photographs obtained by Sky News appear to show tonnes of rubbish being dumped at what is understood to be the UK’s newest large-scale illegal waste site – despite an ongoing investigation by the Environment Agency.
The huge dump – amounting to tens of thousands of tonnes of rubbish – sits right next to the M25, south east of Epping in Stapleford Tawny.
The Environment Agency says it began an investigation in February 2025, but, despite this, the site remains open – and images show a lorry spilling waste at the dump on Friday 6 February.
The images were captured last week by a local man – who does not want to be named – who stopped because the lorry was stuck in mud.
“A massive lorry, 40-foot long – I thought the guy was in trouble, so I thought I’d try to help,” he said.
“I went round the back, and I saw rubbish spewing out from the back of the cab, so I was a bit concerned.”
The man called 999.
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Sky News has been investigating how, across the country, waste crime is a growing scourge and a booming business being exploited by criminal gangs.
Being paid to remove rubbish, only to dump it illegally without sorting it or paying tax, is an easy way of making huge amounts of money, with poorly-enforced legal repercussions and a huge cost to the environment.
It’s something the previous head of the Environment Agency called “the new narcotics”.
– It’s thought a fifth of all waste in England is being illegally managed
– That’s around 34 million tonnes a year, enough to fill about four million skips
– It costs the economy around a billion pounds a year, with legitimate operators thought to be losing a further £3bn from missed business
Last July, we tracked down a group of suspected organised fly-tippers who waved wads of cash on TikTok after dumping waste in the countryside.
Essex Police confirmed that they had arrested a 55-year-old from Horley in Surrey and a 25-year-old from Mullaghbawn in County Armagh.
The lorry, two mobile phones and a laptop were seized as evidence.
Read more from Sky News:
Two arrested for illegally dumping waste at six sites
What it’s like to live next to a 25,000-tonne illegal dump
Satellite imagery analysed by Sky News shows the land in October 2024, when it was green and full of trees.
On 19 September last year, there is clear activity at the site, with possible dumping taking place in the top-left corner of the site.
Now the seven-acre site is completely covered in waste, buried several metres deep.
There are major environmental concerns.
The rubbish tumbles down into a small tributary that runs into the River Roding, which feeds the River Thames.
Paul Powlesland, from the River Roding Trust, said: “It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see the sheer scale of this illegal waste dump. I’ve seen a few waste dumps in my time, and this is definitely one of the worst.
“The landfill is literally going into the tributaries, and then, within 100m, that goes straight into the River Roding, London’s third biggest river. So whatever is in here, the rainfall, we’ve been having a lot recently, will go through it, pick up those toxins and go into the groundwater.”
West of England and Wales correspondent
Standing on top of thousands of tonnes of waste, metres deep, it is staggering that it has amassed in just a few months.
Despite the cold winter weather – the stench is acrid, almost acidic at the back of your throat.
What’s here is equally remarkable.
The majority is processed, shredded building waste – often a sign of the work of a organised crime group.
But there is also a lot of domestic rubbish.
Bank statements, postcards, children’s schoolbooks, even official immigration documentation lies blowing the wind.
What is most disturbing is the metallic-bluey-black liquid puddles dotted around the site.
This toxic looking substance collates as rain falls – and it seeps directly into a tributary into the River Roding.
Sky News understands the Environment Agency is urgently seeking a restriction order to close the site down – and is continuing to gather further evidence.
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If you have been affected by fly-tipping, email [email protected] or send us a message on Whatsapp
Barry Russell from the Environment Agency, said: “I share the public’s anger at waste crime, where those responsible have no care for the environment.
“Thanks to the person who rang 999, and the quick work of Essex Police, my environmental crime team are using the arrests and seizures to continue investigating this suspected illegal waste dump.”
