'Out of control plague': Warning over illegal waste dumps

Huge illegal waste dumps could remain an "out of control plague" if there isn't more co-operation between the Environment Agency (EA) and police, according to the committee which oversees public spending.  In a new report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says the increasing problem of large-scale waste sites "surpasses" the EA's powers.

It also claims the EA has a problem with "intelligence gaps" when it comes to the criminality behind illegal waste dumping. But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), which oversees the EA, told Sky News the report was "out of date before it was even published" and doesn't take into account a raft of new measures.

The report comes ahead of the chief executive of the EA, Philip Duffy, appearing before the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee. PAC chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said while government plans to arm the EA with greater powers are "welcome.