FOUR MEN ARRESTED OVER ILLEGAL WASTE DUMPING IN WIGAN

Four men have been arrested on suspicion of environmental, fraud and money laundering offences connected to large-scale illegal waste dumping at Bolton House Road in Wigan. Officers from Greater Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire Police, working with the Environment Agency's National Environmental Crime Unit, secured the arrests as part of an ongoing investigation. One of the four suspects, a 24-year-old man from Leeds, was also arrested in connection with illegal waste dumping at Cave's Inn Pits, a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Shawell in Leicestershire. The four arrested men are aged 41, 35, 24 and 59, and are from Wigan, Wigan, Leeds and Liverpool respectively.

The Bolton House Road site is located near a primary school and has caused significant distress to local residents over an extended period. A week-long fire at the site last summer forced the closure of nearby schools, according to the Environment Agency. Residents have reported persistent foul odours from the site. The scale of dumping at Bolton House Road is believed to be approximately 25,000 tonnes. Wigan Council has already installed concrete barriers at the entrance to prevent further illegal dumping and is seeking a specialist contractor to undertake the clean-up operation.

The government has announced direct funding for the clean-up of the Bolton House Road site. Sue Longstone, Director of Operations for the North at the Environment Agency, described the illegal dumping as "atrocious attacks on our communities". Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle stated that the government is taking a zero-tolerance approach to waste crime, and that these arrests mark "an important step in delivering justice for residents in Wigan and Shawell". The investigation continues as officers collect further evidence.