The “Hinckley dump” was discovered in early August and comprises of approximately 5,000 cubic metres of waste.
The waste appears to include the contents of household skips, alongside evidence that heavy goods equipment had been used to create a soil embankment around the site.
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and Leicestershire Police initially shut down the site, and have now handed over to the EA to lead the criminal investigation.
A spokesperson for the EA said: “We are leading the investigation into this case after our partners shut down this site and secured it.
“Waste crime scars communities and the environment and in line with our 10 point plan we’re acting quickly to tackle illegal activity.
“Communities are also our partners in this, acting as our eyes and ears. Reporting information to us as soon as possible means we can take swift action to intervene. If it looks odd or out of place, then report your concerns.”
The site is located on land off the A47 Leicester Road and the embankment is understood to have been used to shield the waste-tipping activity from public view.
The EA have appealed for anyone with information, dash cam footage, mobile phone footage or CCTV to get in touch and help with ongoing investigations.
The Agency is also calling on the public to be vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity in the region.
This includes tipper lorries, skip lorries or articulated lorries entering derelict sites or fields.
Those with information can call the Environment Agency’s 24/7 hotline in confidence on 0800 80 70 60 (quoting incident number 02544976) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
‘A serious and deliberate act of waste crime’
Upon the discovery of the site, an EA spokesperson said: “This is a sickening case of large-scale illegal waste dumping, and we share the public’s disgust.”
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council worked with Leicestershire Police’s Rural Crime team and the EA to secure the site and gather evidence.
Two vehicles found at the site were removed under local authority powers for vehicles suspected of being used in waste crime.
The EA said the site has been secured and is no longer believed to be actively receiving waste.
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council leader Stuart Bray added: “This is a serious and deliberate act of waste crime. Those responsible have not only dumped a large amount of waste; they have taken steps to hide what they were doing.
“That makes it even more important that anyone who saw something unusual comes forward.
“We know residents will rightly be angry to see the countryside treated in this way. Our officers are working closely with the police and Environment Agency, and action has already been taken, including removing two vehicles from the site.
“Our priority now is to support the Environment Agency’s investigation, secure the evidence and make sure those responsible are held to account, including for the clean-up.
“If you saw anything that did not look right in this area, please report it.”
The National Waste Crime Conference takes place on 3 November 2026 in London. The one-day event will bring together professionals from across enforcement, regulation, local government and the waste industry to examine the challenges posed by waste crime and the sector’s response to the new regulatory landscape. Find out more and secure your ticket here.
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