Another man has been arrested in connection with illegal waste dumping in the North East.
A 29-year-old man has been arrested near Preston, Lancashire, as part of a joint operation involving the Environment Agency and Lancashire Police.
The man was questioned in connection with an illegal waste site at Callerton, near Newcastle Airport in the North East, and has now been released on bail.
It follows an arrest made in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, as part of an investigation into illegal waste dumping in the North East. The 32-year-old man has also been bailed pending further enquiries.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle commented: “These arrests are an important step in achieving justice for those communities in the North East who have had to put up with the impacts of these appalling illegal waste sites.”
“Through our crackdown we are putting more officers on the frontline and driving faster enforcement and disruption of criminal activities.”
“This government is taking a zero-tolerance approach to waste crime and this action shows we are delivering on our promise to bring these criminals to justice.”
The arrest forms part of a wider investigation into three separate sites in Peterlee and Hartlepool and a third near Newcastle Airport at Callerton in Newcastle, which has since been cleared by the landowner.
The Environment Agency says that together the three dumps amount to almost 3,500 tonnes of waste.
Gary Wallace, Area Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said the regulator has been ‘relentless’ in its investigation into the three sites, which were reported over the summer.
“We’ll continue to put every effort into taking action against those suspected of being involved,” Wallace commented.
“Illegal waste sites are a blight on our communities and the environment, and we’re determined to bring those behind them to justice.”
