Four are arrested over 'atrocious' illegal waste dump containing more than 25,000 tons of rubbish near a primary school

Four men have been arrested over Britain's most notorious illegal waste dump.The 'atrocious' 25,000-tonne mountain at Bolton House Road in Wigan, Greater Manchester, was discovered last summer after a large fire burned for several days, forcing nearby schools to close.Described as the worst in the country, the illegal dump holds a mixture of household and commercial rubbish piled tens of metres high on a two-acre site.Locals have been plagued by flies, rats, and a rotten stench seeping from the mound.Such is the scale of the clean up required that the government announced it would step in - with Andy Burnham vowing there would be no repeats of this 'ocean of rubbish' on his watch.Wigan Council has barricaded the entrance with concrete blocks to prevent any more waste being dumped, and is currently searching for a specialist contractor up to the task.Three police forces - Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and West Yorkshire - worked in collaboration with the Environment Agency's crime unit to secure the arrests of the four men.A 41-year-old man and a 35-year-old, both from Wigan, a 24-year-old from Leeds and a 59-year-old from Liverpool, were arrested for environmental, fraud and money laundering offences. Four men have been arrested over an 'atrocious' 25,000-ton illegal waste dump in Wigan Between a rural industrial park and a line of the trees, the illegal dump has been described as Britain's worst A mixture of household and commercial waste it to be found piled tens of metres highThe Leeds man was also arrested over waste dumped at the Cave's Inn Pits Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) near Shawell, Leicestershire, the Environment Agency said.A 58-year-old man from the Birmingham area was previously arrested in May in connection with the Bolton House Road dump.It was revealed earlier this year that a large portion of the site, sandwiched between a rural industrial park and a line of trees, was owned by the King through the Duchy of Lancaster.The Duchy offered to 'hand over the land' to Wigan Council but maintained it had no responsibility to clean it up, insisting that only 30 per cent of the land is vested in the King's estateSue Longstone, director of operations for the north at the Environment Agency, said: 'The illegal dumping at Bolton House Road and Cave's Inn Pits are atrocious attacks on our communities, and we share the public's utter disgust at these horrendous crimes.Following the arrests, Mr Burnham said: 'I have stood on Bolton House Road and seen what local people have had to live with.'It is shocking – an ocean of rubbish piled up next to a primary school, and families unable to escape the smell in their own homes.'This is not fly-tipping. This is organised crime, and it is local communities that are paying the price.'For too long, this issue has been ignored. But not on my watch.'Today's action by the Environment Agency and the police is just the start of our plans. The days of making easy money from waste are over.' Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: 'The appalling dumping of waste at Bolton House Road and Cave's Inn Pits represents a blatant disregard for local communities and the environment.'She said tackling waste crime was one of her top priorities, and the Government was giving regulators and enforcement agencies the powers and resources they need to break up criminal operations and hold those responsible to account.Several large-scale illegal waste dumps have been discovered lately - including a 7,500-ton pile near Bradford City football club.It was discovered last month after locals reported a strong 'rotten' stench filling the air during the heatwave.The Environment Agency (EA) launched an investigation into the site off Midland Road, in Manningham, and said they were trying to track down those responsible.Testing at some of the illegal dump sites has revealed a toxic mix of hundreds of chemicals emanating from the waste.