Appeal after 75 tonnes of waste dumped in Nelson mill

The agency has released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to following the incident, which they believe was deliberate and organised.

The waste, a mix of commercial and household items, was dumped in the yard of a mill on February 15.

The agency said the waste was dumped using a wagon displaying cloned vehicle registration plates.

The dumping occurred over five trips between 2pm and 6pm.

The man the agency wants to trace is described as white, approximately 5ft 9in tall, of a heavy build, with red hair, and was seen with a beard.

The Environment Agency has already spoken to a person of interest in connection with the incident.

John Neville, area environment manager for the Environment Agency, said: "This was a deliberate dumping of waste, and we believe it was planned using cloned number plates to help evade detection.

"The landowner is facing clean-up costs and the mill sits in a residential area next to a canal, with local people having to live with the sight of this waste every day.

"We are urging anyone who recognises the man in the images to come forward with information."

The landowner now faces clean-up costs amounting to thousands of pounds to ensure the waste is removed and disposed of at a legitimate waste facility.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Environment Agency's incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.