“I share the public’s anger at waste crime,” said Barry Russell from the Environment Agency, after two men were arrested when officers found a lorry of demolition waste bogged down in a field near Romford on 6 February 2026. The Agency is leading the inquiry. (gov.uk)

Essex Police responded to a 999 call about waste on private land at Stapleford Tawney, by the M25/M11 junction. Officers arrested a 55-year-old from Horley, Surrey, and a 25-year-old from Mullaghbawn, County Armagh, before the men were questioned on behalf of Environment Agency officers. (gov.uk)

At the scene, officers found a lorry loaded with construction and demolition waste, with more rubbish spread over a wide area. The vehicle had sunk into thick mud and was seized, along with two mobile phones and a laptop taken as evidence. (gov.uk)

Both suspects were released on conditional bail: no contact with each other, no transporting waste and no being in vehicles involved in waste work. They are due back at Harlow police station on 26 February 2026. (miragenews.com)

While this incident sits in Essex, the pattern is national and visible in the North West. In Liverpool, a separate operation on 2 February led to an arrest and the seizure of a heavy goods vehicle, with the Environment Agency saying it had “taken immediate action” alongside Merseyside Police. (gov.uk)

Earlier, on 20 January, two men from Sale and Rochdale were arrested during a joint raid with the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit. The agency’s message was blunt: “we will stop you.” (gov.uk)

Recent Environment Agency activity has also seen three men arrested over the suspected dumping of almost 1,200 tonnes of mixed household, commercial and industrial waste at Kirby Cane, near Norwich-an illustration of scale as enquiries continue. (miragenews.com)

For Northern firms trying to compete fairly, enforcement matters. The Environment Agency estimates waste crime costs England about £1 billion a year. By late 2025, the Joint Unit’s work had led to 186 arrests, and in 2024/25 officers stopped activity at 743 illegal waste sites, 143 classed high risk. (environmentagency.blog.gov.uk)

Our patch feels the hit when criminals cut corners: compliant builders and hauliers are undercut, farmland is blighted and council budgets are stretched. If you see suspicious tipping, call the Environment Agency’s 24-hour hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. (gov.uk)