AN investigation has been launched after mountains of rubbish were dumped on land opposite a former power station.

More than 30 lorry-loads of waste have been discovered and the land owners have said they are ‘appalled’ and ‘saddened’.

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Police officers were called to in Altham Lane, Huncoat, alongside officials from Hyndburn Council and the Environment Agency.

It is estimated the total amount of rubbish dumped could be in the hundreds of tonnes in the latest of a string of such incidents in East Lancashire.

The site between Huncoat, Hapton and Altham, which is used for bus and lorry driver training, is kept securely fenced and gated.

CJ McManus, commercial director of Bury-based landowners Park Royal Haulage, said: “The tipping has been organised.

“It is appalling and was probably done at night over the weekend.

“This is very upsetting but sadly I am not shocked.

“This is a major dumping of rubbish, 30 to 40 lorry loads, which could be several tonnes each.

“They sawed the padlocks of the gates of the land which is leased to North Lancs Road Transport Training.

“Our manager at Whinney Hill Quarry went down on Saturday and it was not there, but it had appeared by Monday morning.

“There appears to be a lot of plastic and wood there and I shall be meeting officers from the Environment Agency and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service to discuss removal.

“We don’t know yet who is responsible for taking it away.

“I would appeal to anyone who knows anything about this large scale industrial tipping to contact the council, the police or the Environment Agency.”

The scale of the rubbish dumping recalls the tipping of tonnes of mixed-baled waste deposited on the former Clarion Chemicals site in Nook Lane, Oswaldtwistle.

It also echoes the August 2015 dumping of a giant heap of steaming rubbish at the former Vernon Carus St Paul’s Mill in Hoddlesden.

Hyndburn Council leader Cllr Miles Parkinson said: “This is not your ordinary fly-tipping.

“This is organised, industrial rubbish dumping of a potentially criminal nature.

“We are talking 30 or 40 wagons and potentially hundreds of tonnes of material.”

Mick Pale, a 51-year-old chemical process worker from Huncoat, said he saw the rubbish when he was walking his dog.

He said he was shocked by what he saw and that it was ‘disgusting’.

Former Huncoat councillor Dave Parkin said: “The dumping is the size of a house.

“I don’t know what scumbags it is that are doing this, or why they are doing it, but something needs to be done.

“If it is a local business or whoever, they must be punished.

“It’s unacceptable this is happening.”

The Environment Agency declined to put an estimate on the size of the rubbish mounds until a further visit by its officers today.

A spokeswoman said: “We are working closely with the council and police to help deliver a permanent solution.

“It’s important that anyone who has information about this issue reports it to our free Incident Hotline on 0800 807060.

“This will help us protect and prevent harm to people and the local environment.”

A spokesman for Oswaldtwistle-based North Lancs Road Transport Training said: “Sadly this is the way of the world today.

“It will not interfere with our driver training too much because of where it is.”