The Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock watched the first collection vehicle leave the illegal waste site close to the River Cherwell near Kidlington.

Calum Miller met with Emma Reynolds, the Cabinet Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on Tuesday, April 14.

They observed the first of thirty lorries beginning the removal of illegally dumped commercial and household waste spanning 8,000 square metres.

Staff from Acumen Waste Services will move up to thirty loads daily for approximately six months during the £8 million clean-up operation.

After discovering this site, which is bigger than the Wembley Stadium pitch, during his community engagement work, Miller immediately recognised the risk and demanded that authorities step in and instruct the Environment Agency to manage the waste removal.

He partnered with local residents, conservation bodies and farming communities, leading a parliamentary campaign calling for government intervention.

He expressed his pleasure at finally seeing the waste being taken away.

Local people fought hard for several months to get this illegal dump cleared, and their worries about possible harm to the River Cherwell and the wider environment were completely valid.

Since the Environment Agency shut the site in October 2025, four months after the first report to Cherwell Council, preparations have been proceeding.

These works have involved protecting the adjacent river, taking out eight trees, constructing hardstanding areas and putting traffic management measures in place to minimise disruption.

Four people living outside Oxfordshire have been arrested as part of an ongoing criminal inquiry by the Environment Agency.

The effects of organised criminal activity cannot be overlooked, he stated.

He will keep pressing for those responsible to face court action and ensure local council taxpayers do not have to cover the expenses.

He labelled the situation outrageous, calling for increased funding from landfill taxation to combat waste crime and urging the National Crime Agency to take primary responsibility.

This shameful occurrence demonstrates the scale of waste criminal activity across the country. Landfill Tax brings in nearly £500 million each year, and a larger share of this money should go towards effectively tackling waste crime.

The National Crime Agency should play a bigger role in investigating the criminal networks involved, and the Environment Agency should do more to advertise a single reporting phone line so communities know how to flag suspicious activity before further illegal dumpsites appear.