Major investigation underway after dairy farm near Harborough is turned into a huge illegal dumping ground

The law enforcement inquiry is going ahead as a massive, highly-complex clean-up operation is carried out at Firs Farm on the outskirts of Husbands Bosworth.

Environment Agency experts are now at the scene assessing the enormous scale of the devastating eco-crime as security officers have sealed off the sensitive site.

It is believe that the tenant who was renting the 105-acre farm from Leicestershire County Council has vanished.

Local people fear tons of dangerous “contaminated waste” have been buried at Firs Farm on the western side of Welford Road to the south of Husbands Bosworth.

One furious villager, who didn’t want to be named, told the Mail: “The stink is absolutely horrendous.

“You can actually smell this place in the village, hundreds of yards away.

“It really gets up your nose and into your mouth and makes you want to gag.”

“The whole farm smells of death and decay – it’s horrible and disgusting.”

He added: “I’ve been told dead cattle have just been left to rot and decay on the land.

“This is a serious health hazard.

“You can also see a mini-mountain of plastic trash and other rubbish piled up high near the farm buildings themselves.

“None of the local people can believe what’s gone on here at a farm on the edge of Husbands Bosworth.

“It’s outrageous.”

Cllr Patricia Hobson, chair of Husbands Bosworth Parish Council, told the Mail: “This is totally unacceptable and highly irresponsible – both for our local community and environment.

“It’s very worrying and I am extremely concerned about the level of pollution we are talking about here.”

She said the farm at the centre of the suspected environmental disaster was just “200 yards from the recent Davidsons Homes development on Welford Road”.

“It also sits right next to our village allotments.

“We have about 31-32 allotments there and they are very popular with villagers,” said Cllr Hobson.

“I’ve been told that a lot of contaminated waste has been buried at the farm.

“I believe this must have been going on for some time.

“I fear this rubbish could have a serious effect on our local eco-systems, waterways and courses and the countryside as a whole.

“Not to mention our allotments just yards away.”

She said she had met the tenant at the farm, which used to boast 80 dairy cows, just once.

“I spoke to him last summer about a pregnant cow at the farm – he seemed a pleasant enough chap.

“Everything seemed fine there at the time,” said Cllr Hobson.

“But his popularity here now has plunged below zero as you can imagine.

“I’ve been told that he absconded and disappeared a week or so ago.

“There’s a large digger there at the farm now and security people at the gate.

“This horrible waste will have to be excavated and it will cost a lot of money and take a lot of time.”

She said she hasn’t been alerted to the eco-scandal on the village’s doorstep by either the Environment Agency, Leicestershire County Council or police.

“It would have been helpful to have been told and I’d have appreciated it.

“As chair of Husbands Bosworth Parish Council I am an important link and a channel to the villagers here,” stressed Cllr Hobson.

“But as local people living very close by we just hope now that this terrible situation is sorted out as soon as possible.”

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: “Our officers have visited the site to fully assess the situation.

“As this is currently a live ongoing investigation we cannot make any further comment about the case at this stage.”

She urged anyone who knows anything about the Firs Farm flytipping outrage or any other incidents to alert the EA immediately.

“If anyone sees activity they are concerned about or wants to report an incident to the Environment Agency please call our 24-hour free phone number 0800 807060,” she said.

A Leicestershire County Council spokeswoman said: “Firs Farm is a tenanted county council farm.

“We are aware of an ongoing investigation and are working closely with the Environment Agency.”

Leicestershire Police have been approached for a comment.