Huge 7,500-tonne illegal rubbish dump found next to ex-Premier League ground after locals' sniff foul stench

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A 7,500-tonne illegal waste dump has been discovered opposite a football stadium.

Drone footage showed mountains of household and commercial rubbish piled across a strip of land just yards from Valley Parade in Bradford, West Yorks. The waste stretched for around half the length of a football pitch, with hundreds of black bin bags, towering piles of rubbish and rusting containers scattered across the site in Manningham. The back end of an articulated lorry could also be seen.

The sprawling dump stretched across a 50-metre (164ft) long strip opposite the home of League One side Bradford City FC. Residents raised the alarm during the recent heatwave after a “rotten” smell spread across the area, forcing some to keep their windows and doors shut. The Environment Agency (EA) has now launched an investigation and said officers were working to identify those responsible.

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One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said locals had noticed “strange” trucks entering the site in the early mornings and evenings. They said: “This issue came to light when we had the recent heatwave and the local area was overcome by a disgusting smell of rotten foods and waste.

“We were not able to leave windows or doors open due to the disgusting and pungent smell. It was only after many of the local residents were discussing this issue it was highlighted that many of them had seen trucks entering a parcel of land on Midland Road that has been locked for many years during the early mornings and evening which I felt was very strange.”

The resident said they later looked over the wall surrounding the site and spotted an excavator moving large bags of waste.

They said: “I walk daily along this road so decided to try and look over the wall to see what was being done on the land as there were no signs for any business at the gate. I was able to catch a glimpse as it’s a big wall with a huge drop and vegetation on the other side and saw a excavator moving around huge black bags of waste.

“There was an artic (articulated) trailer as well as some sort of incinerator. That same evening I saw a removal truck outside the premises waiting to access the property. It was also being discussed on a local community group and pictures and videos were taken - these were uploaded to the group and the excavator was removed from the site.”

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In a joint statement, Manningham’s Independent councillors said they were “deeply appalled”. They said: “This is completely unacceptable and represents a blatant disregard for our community and the environment. We will not tolerate anyone treating our community as a dumping ground.

“Illegal waste dumping, in any form or on any scale, has no place in Manningham. We are aware of the ongoing investigation and sincerely hope those responsible are identified, prosecuted where appropriate, and held fully accountable for their actions.”

The councillors said they “immediately referred” the matter to the Environment Agency after residents raised concerns last week. They added early reports suggested HGVs travelled into Manningham from outside the area to dump the waste. If confirmed, they said the operation appeared to be “organised”, making it “even more disgraceful”.

An Environment Agency spokesperson confirmed officers received reports on Wednesday, July 1. The spokesperson confirmed reports was received on July 1. They said: "Officers attended and estimated multiple tonnes of mixed household and commercial waste has been dumped. They are following up several lines of enquiry to track down those responsible, and working to trace the landowner to ensure the site is properly secured.

"They’re also working with partners at Bradford Council, West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. The Environment Agency is also appealing for information from the public.”

Ben Hocking, area environment manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We have launched an investigation to find those responsible for illegal waste dumping in central Bradford so they can be held to account. We are assessing the site’s environmental impact and making enquiries to trace the landowner to ensure the site is secured.

“Waste crime scars communities and under our 10 Point Plan we’re acting quickly to tackle illegal activity and shut down sites.”