MP warns of “Environmental Disaster” after 20ft mountain of waste found by River Cherwell
Callum Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock, raised the alarm in Parliament
Last updated 14th Nov 2025
A local MP has called for urgent government intervention after a vast mound of illegally dumped plastic waste—reported to be around 20 feet high and weighing hundreds of tons—was discovered on a floodplain beside the River Cherwell near Kidlington.
Callum Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock, raised the alarm in Parliament, warning ministers that rising river levels and heat detected within the waste pile had created a serious and growing risk of fire and pollution.
He told the House that the Environment Agency had informed him it lacked the resources to remove the waste, with the estimated cleanup cost exceeding the annual budget of the local district council.
“Criminals have dumped a mountain of illegal plastic waste, 20ft high and weighing hundreds of tons in my constituency on the floodplain adjacent to the River Cherwell,” he said.
“River levels are rising and heat maps show the waste is heating up, raising the risk of fire.… Will the minister meet with me urgently to discuss what support the government can offer to avoid an environmental disaster?”
Miller later confirmed he had secured an urgent meeting with the minister, stressing that the situation “cannot wait.”
Environmental groups including the local river catchment partnership, the Cherwell & Ray catchment partnership, along with the local wildlife trust have also voiced deep concern.
Charity Thames21, said the waste was discovered during a river walkover at the weekend (8/9 November).
Representatives described the site as a “horrendous, gigantic rubbish tip” and warned of the impact on local wildlife.
The discovery appears to have been first reported by a local angling society, and charities are now appealing for information to help identify who is responsible for the dumping and what action is underway to remove the waste.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Thames21 or the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.