Officers are now appealing to members of the public for any information into this illegal dumping which all happened within 5 miles of each other in North Worcestershire.

The trailers all appear to be similar and therefore Environment Agency officers believe they are all linked to the same waste criminals. It is believed that the first reported sighting of an abandoned trailer was on Sunday 12 July.

The trailers and their loads of waste containing household, commercial or industrial rubbish have all been abandoned in laybys next to major roads in the area.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency, said:

We are appealing to members of the public who may have any information, however small, about the abandoned trailers full of waste to contact us as soon as possible to help with our investigation. They can call the 24-hour Environment Agency hotline or anonymously to Crimestoppers.

The trailers are all in laybys on major roads and so we are hopeful that there may be witnesses to this criminal activity.

We urge homeowners and businesses to check someone is registered to take their waste away as they could be breaking the law if their waste isn’t managed properly.

To report illegal waste activity, or if you suspect a company is operating illegally, call the Environment Agency 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Notes to editors

• Check a waste carrier, broker or dealer is registered before you use them.

• Waste site operators should make sure their site is legal and check they have the right permit for their activities.

• It is illegal to burn most types of waste. Burning waste such as treated wood, tyres, plastics, rubber and oil can seriously harm health and pollute the environment. People face a fine of up to £50,000 for illegally managing waste.