Environment Agency issues CCTV appeal after 75 tonnes of waste dumped at Nelson mill
Investigators believe an organised operation using cloned number plates was behind the deposit of commercial and household refuse at the Lancashire site.
The Environment Agency has issued an appeal for information to trace a man sought in connection with the large-scale dumping of waste at a mill site in Lancashire.
Approximately 75 tonnes of mixed household and commercial refuse was deposited in the yard of a mill in Nelson on Sunday, February 15, 2026. The incidents took place across five separate deliveries between 2pm and 6pm.
Investigators believe the operation was deliberate and organised, with the perpetrators using a wagon bearing cloned vehicle registration plates to avoid detection.
The appeal featured on the BBC programme Crimewatch Live on October 22. Officers have already pursued several lines of inquiry and questioned a person of interest.
"This was a deliberate dumping of waste, and we believe it was planned using cloned number plates to help evade detection.”
The individual investigators wish to identify is described as white, around 5ft 9in tall, of heavy build, and having red hair. Recorded footage indicates he also had a beard.
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."
He added: "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 faces bills running into thousands of pounds to clear the site and transport the materials to an authorised disposal facility.
Anyone who can assist the inquiry is asked to call the Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.