'This is nothing short of a full-blown environmental scandal' - field on the outskirts of Harborough has been turned into a massive tip

An outraged countryside campaigner has hit out after exposing a farm field turned into an “ugly massive tip” on the outskirts of Market Harborough.

Peter Pollak, 75, said he was determined to “blow the lid off the eco-scandal” he has uncovered at a beauty spot on the northern edge of Harborough.

The veteran rambler is being backed by Harborough MP Neil O’Brien, district council leader Phil King and local district and county councillor Dr Paul Bremner.

Both Leicestershire County Council and the Environment Agency have now pledged to investigate the “disaster zone” after being alerted by the Harborough Mail.

Peter told the Mail: “This is nothing short of a full-blown environmental scandal.

“I have enjoyed walking through our beautiful countryside all over the UK, as well as all over the world, for almost all my life.

“And I’ve never seen a sight as horrifying and as shocking as this anywhere else before.”

The retired insurance surveyor stumbled across the jawdropping spectre as he walked from Lubenham to the Airfield Farm in Harborough with his wife Fran, 70.

“We were trekking along the public footpath one fantastic morning last week when we were both suddenly halted in our tracks.

“All we could see in front of us was a sea of industrial waste stretching away as far as the eye could see,” said Peter, of Limner Street, Farndon Fields, Market Harborough.

“It’s a sprawling field – maybe reaching more than a square mile away into the distance.

“The entire swathe of farmland was contaminated.

“Bits of dirty plastic and other rubbish was blown all over and scattered to the four winds – carpeting just about every bit of the pasture and the footpath as well.

“My initial reaction was that the farmer or landowner had ploughed over an old landfill site and dug up all this toxic trash.

“If that’s true then this poses all sorts of terrible dangers to local people as well as wildlife.”

The heavily-polluted field is bordered by Gartree Prison, the Innovation Centre and the new Wellington Place estate by the picturesque Grand Union Canal.

“It’s a charming neck of the woods which is why it’s so popular with local dog-walkers, ramblers and runners.

“We spoke to quite a few people out enjoying the Great Outdoors,” said Peter, a key local member of the Open Spaces Society, the UK’s oldest national conservation body.

“And they were truly shocked by this pollution – the field’s been turned into a bleak wasteland.

“Wild animals and birds could ingest this horrible rubbish, which has been blown all over.

“There’s a pretty little pond just feet off the main trail and that’s been polluted too.

“Old landfill sites can also emit methane gas, which could pose a serious danger to families moving into Wellington Place.

“The field was grassed over the last time we walked over there just a few weeks ago – so this has been done recently.

“The appropriate authorities have got to track down the people responsible for this as soon as possible and deal with them.

“They have got to launch a full investigation to get to the bottom of this and make sure it never happens again.

“No wonder the human race is killing itself.”

Talking to the Mail, Harborough MP Neil O’Brien said: “This incident is very grim and wholly unacceptable.

“It’s especially bad as so many people in Harborough are working so hard to reduce plastic waste and help our endangered environment.

“Urgent action has got to be taken to clean this up now.”

Cllr Phil King, who leads Harborough District Council, said: “This is clearly a very serious problem and has to be fully investigated by the appropriate authorities.

“This waste may have been dumped there historically – and it could be an illegal tip.

“Serious questions will have to be put to the landowner.”

Dr Paul Bremner, who is both a local county and district councillor, said: “This huge ugly eyesore is shameful.

“It scars the landscape and is a lethal hazard to wildlife.

“We have to discover just what’s happened here and clean up this mess urgently.”

A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson said: “We have been recently made aware of an issue on land north of Harborough Road, Harborough, which we are currently investigating as the waste planning authority.

“We are working closely with the Environment Agency and Harborough District Council and our officers are due to investigate the site later this week.”

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: “We are in the process of reviewing this incident in line with the Government’s coronavirus guidance.

“We will then assess the incident and respond accordingly.

“We would ask people to continue to report environmental-pollution incidents to us using our 24-hour free phone number, 0800 807060.”