Home / Environment / Illegal Dump Near M25 Shuts Down Site
Illegal Dump Near M25 Shuts Down Site
18 Feb
Summary
- Illegal waste dump site near M25 ordered shut due to health and fire risks.
- Site landowner denies illegal dumping despite owning land since 2003.
- Arrests made as waste tumbles into tributary feeding the River Thames.
A significant illegal waste dump site, measuring 300 meters long and located adjacent to the M25 near Epping, Essex, has been ordered to close. The Environment Agency secured a restriction order from Barkingside Magistrates Court due to severe risks to human health and potential fire hazards.
The court heard that the waste on the seven-acre site exhibited "potential for combustion," a concern amplified by a major gas pipe running beneath it. Satellite images reveal the site's rapid transformation from a green field in October 2024 to being filled several meters deep with waste by July 2025.
The deposited rubbish is now flowing into a tributary that feeds the River Roding and subsequently the River Thames. The Environment Agency began its investigation in February 2026, with dumping continuing until the start of this month, with evidence of activity on February 6, 2026.
Essex Police have arrested two individuals, a 55-year-old from Horley, Surrey, and a 25-year-old from Mullaghbawn, County Armagh. The registered landowner, Patrick Culligan, who purchased the land in October 2003 for £77,000, has denied direct involvement but did not object to the restriction order. Investigations are ongoing.
