Officials had been warned about Britain’s greatest fly-tip almost 100 instances: Huge unlawful waste dump spewing poisonous burning plastic fumes was allowed to go unchecked for SEVEN years

The Environment Agency was warned nearly a hundred times about a vast fly tip that was spewing toxic fumes – only for it to continue operating for seven years.

Waste has been spread across more than two acres of land near the village of Over in Gloucestershire after illegal dumping was allowed to continue unchecked. 

The tip consists of layers of waste up to 20 feet deep and regularly self-combusts – prompting rancid smoke to billow over a popular family farm attraction next door. 

It is at least ten times the size of the notorious fly tip in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, which was previously said to be ‘Britain’s biggest‘.

The problem dates back to 2018, when up to 50 trucks a day from all over the UK started dumping their cargoes of plastic, building rubble and general waste on land at the back of Over Farm.

Since then, tens of thousands of tonnes of rubbish have been deposited at the illegal tip, which is situated between the adventure park and a body of water that forms part of the old Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal.

Locals say it is fly tipping on an industrial scale and their complaints to the police and Environment Agency (EA) have been ignored – although officials insist dumping has now ceased. 

Officials received nearly a hundred reports about the tip, which is pictured here with the Countryside Adventure Park behind and a former canal in front 

A smouldering pile of waste can be seen subsiding into the former Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal, which runs around the back of Over Farm in Gloucestershire  

The EA received 96 reports of illegal waste dumping at the Over tip between 2018 and last month, according to figures disclosed to the Daily Mail under freedom of information laws. 

One local man, who asked not to be named out of fear he could be targeted by the fly-tippers, said he had personally made five reports via the EA’s incident hotline. 

‘I gave the EA the names of the persons controlling the land and took photos of them and various lorries, which had company names on them,’ he said. 

‘The EA said unless I was prepared to stand up in court to confirm I had taken the photos then they couldn’t use them, which I feel was a complete fob off. 

‘I eventually got so fed up that I made a complaint, which resulted in a call back from a manager, who finished the call by asking me to put pressure on my local MP to get them more money. 

‘It’s common knowledge who these people are but no one will take any action against them.’ 

Land Registry records identify the owner of the land as a man called Sean Butcher. Mr Butcher is shown as living in Witney in Oxfordshire – although he now appears to reside elsewhere.

One former neighbour told the Mail: ‘He ran several businesses, I think in building and house clearances.’ 

One local man, who asked not to be named out of fear he could be targeted by the fly-tippers, said he had personally made five reports about the site  

A large pile of waste situated yards from the old Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal

Highnam residents say the tip itself has been operated by businessman Marshall Gorman, 45, who runs a local driveway company.

Mr Gorman is listed as the owner of another site down the road in Rudford, where he has been issued with a council Planning Enforcement Action for ‘the importation, depositing and movement of materials’ which includes ‘construction waste’.

In a statement, Forest of Dean District Council said it had taken action the landowner – who also uses the surname Oldham – over a ‘serious breaches of environmental regulations’.

His planning agent told the BBC the claims were ‘unfounded’.

When the Mail visited Over Farm late last year, pale grey smoke was drifting across the tip – with the noxious fumes catching in your throat.

A spokesman for Over Farm Park said: ‘It’s terrible. The biggest impact for us is on customers coming to the farm park so when a fire gets lit there’s black smoke billowing across here. It’s not pleasant.

‘Vehicles going up there also impact on the safety of the public coming here. It’s awful.’

The park spokesman said locals know who is responsible for the illegal tip but the council, police and Environment Agency have done nothing to stop the lorries and pollution.

The Highnam site appears to be at least ten times the size of the notorious fly tip in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, (pictured) which was previously said to be ‘Britain’s biggest’ 

Highnam Parish Council has lodged a formal complaint to the chief executive of the Environment Agency over its lack of action.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: ‘We responded directly to reports of illegal activity at Over and since then no more waste has been deposited. We are working with local partners to investigate and fully understand the impact this is having on the community.

‘Illegal waste dumping is appalling, but through greater use of drones, stronger partnerships with local authorities and the police, and more officers on the ground, we will leave waste criminals with nowhere left to hide.’

The Mail asked the EA for more information about the action it claimed to have taken, but did not receive a response. 

The agency previously said it was ‘investigating’ the site.