Four men arrested for illegal waste dumping at infamous Wigan site
Four men have been arrested in connection with large-scale illegal waste dumping at Bolton House Road in Wigan and Cave’s Inn Pits in Leicestershire, Environment Agency announced on 4 August 2026.
Four men were arrested on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, following an investigation into illegal waste dumping at the Bolton House Road site in Wigan and the Cave’s Inn Pits Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) near Shawell in Leicestershire. Officers from Greater Manchester, Lancashire, West Yorkshire Police and the Environment Agency’s National Environmental Crime Unit executed the arrests on suspicion of environmental offences, fraud and money laundering. One suspect, aged 24 from Leeds, was also linked to waste dumping at the Cave’s Inn Pits SSSI. The Environment Agency described the illegal dumping as organised crime with severe impacts on local communities.
The Environment Agency stated that the illegal waste operations at Bolton House Road and Cave’s Inn Pits have caused significant environmental harm and distress to residents, including persistent foul odours and a week-long fire last summer that forced nearby schools to close. The agency reported seeing an "ocean of rubbish" piled near a primary school in Wigan, emphasising that the scale of dumping exceeds typical fly-tipping and requires coordinated law enforcement action. The government reiterated its zero-tolerance approach to waste crime under the Waste Crime Action Plan, which includes enhanced enforcement powers and resources for regulators.
As part of the government’s response, direct funding has been allocated to clean up the Bolton House Road site in Wigan, with Wigan Council now recruiting a specialist contractor to manage the operation. Measures have also been implemented to prevent further illegal dumping, including blocking the site entrance with concrete. At Cave’s Inn Pits, where 30,000 tonnes of shredded waste were dumped and covered with soil, the Environment Agency is monitoring air and water quality while assessing potential environmental impacts as part of the ongoing criminal investigation.
The Environment Agency has urged the public to report illegal waste activity through its 24-hour hotline or anonymously via Crimestoppers. In 2024/25, the agency and partners stopped 743 unpermitted illegal waste sites, led 37 operations resulting in 40 arrests, and conducted 21 money laundering investigations. The agency also published a 10 Point Plan in March to strengthen early intervention and consistent enforcement against waste crime.