[00:00]
Previous item/transition audio continues briefly before the waste crime story begins.

[00:05]
Presenter:
The Environment Agency is cracking down on the dumping of illegal waste across the region. Fly-tipping and organised crime groups are [a growing problem], and this is part of a Government action plan launched in March.

Presenter:
The multi-million-pound business of waste is now under scrutiny. ITV Meridian’s Sally Simmonds joined the Environment Agency on patrol.

[00:22]
Reporter:
We’re joining the Environment Agency on a roadside stop, checking vehicles and waste carriers.

Environment Agency officer:
Do you have the waste carrier’s licence reference?

Reporter:
The checks are to make sure waste is being carried legally and that those moving it have the right paperwork.

[00:35]
Reporter:
This is part of a two-pronged approach, checking vehicles on the road and checking waste sites. The Environment Agency says it recorded hundreds of waste crime offences in 2024 to 2025.

Reporter:
Today, the Agency has also suspended the environmental permit for Twyford Recycling near Chichester after finding fire safety and pollution risks. It says checks like these are revealing what can sit behind the waste industry.

[01:00]
Michael Turner, Environment Agency:
We’ve been fighting organised criminal gangs. They’re trying to innovate ways of making money from waste.

Reporter:
When you say organised crime gangs, is it like an episode of Line of Duty? Is that what we’re talking about?

Michael Turner:
It is, really. We’ve followed [lorry movements / loads] and it has all the hallmarks of organised crime. It’s [frightening] to see the amount of waste.

[01:28]
Reporter:
This mountain of waste in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, is being investigated by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit. Around 21,000 tonnes were taken there by articulated lorries. It was, the Agency believes, a well-planned criminal operation.

Michael Turner:
We believe those responsible for the waste are effectively offering a free or cheap service, charging at lower prices, and that’s where the money comes in. It’s a multi-million-pound business.

[02:05]
Reporter:
Previously permitted sites are also being scrutinised. Why is it important to act earlier?

Michael Turner:
We need to act because there are dangers at the time. Today, we’re dealing with organised criminal gangs. Some gangs will be involved in violence, intimidation and threats. Our officers have been threatened. Their families have been threatened.

[02:25]
Reporter:
Since the Government’s £45 million action plan was announced in March, the Environment Agency has more money to crack down on waste crime, whether it is fly-tipping, toxic piles of waste, asbestos, roadside dumping, or operators breaching strict regulations.

[02:50]
Reporter:
Sally Simmonds, ITV News, Chichester.