Suspect arrested for huge waste-dumping in UK

LONDON

A man has been arrested for the 60-meter-long (197-foot) mound of illegally dumped waste in England’s Oxfordshire, the country's environment watchdog said Tuesday.

The 39-year-old male from the Guildford area was arrested as part of an investigation into the large-scale, illegal tipping of waste near Kidlington, Oxfordshire, the Environment Agency said in a statement.

It noted that no further tipping has taken place in the area since a court order was sought the granted the closure of the site Oct. 23.

Anna Burns, the agency's area director for The Thames, said the arrest will be "the first step in delivering justice" for residents and punishing those responsible.

Footage, including drone images captured by Anadolu earlier this month, shows hundreds of tons of rubbish stacked about 10 meters (31 feet) high, piled on land between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington, which triggered warnings of an environmental catastrophe.

Last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said a criminal investigation is underway into the "utterly appalling scene."

Starmer noted that the Environment Agency will exercise all available powers to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.