View 2 Images

A huge mountain of waste sparked anger near Kidlington, Oxfordshire(Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)

One in five people have witnessed large-scale illegal fly tipping in their areas, grim new polling shows.

Ministers have been warned that the trend risks turning the UK into an “environmental wild west”. The survey result comes after a mountain of rubbish dumped in Oxfordshire sparked fury last month.

The debris stretched for around 150 metres – leading to calls for a fly-tipping hotline and a National Crime Agency (NCA) clampdown. When voters were asked if they had seen similar large-scale fly tipping, 20% said they had.

Article continues below

View 2 Images

The Lib Dems have demanded tougher action against fly-tippers(Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)

Of these people, a majority (63%) said the issue had grown worse over the last 12 months. Tim Farron, the Lib Dem spokesman for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: “These figures show that the scandalous mountain of filth in Oxfordshire is just the tip of the iceberg.

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Mirror as a ‘Preferred Source’ to get quicker access to the news you value.

“From our riversides to our rural lanes, criminal gangs are turning this country into an environmental wild west.” The Environment Agency estimates that 10,000 tonnes of waste were dumped in a site near Kidlington, with work underway to remove it.

Two thirds of the public believe organised criminal gangs are behind the rise of illegal dump sites. The polling, carried out by Savanta, saw 2,297 UK adults interviewed.

A spokeswoman from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Waste crime is a scourge on local communities. We are working across government to wipe out illegal waste throughout the country and make those responsible pay.