Six people were arrested during dawn raids yesterday (March 10) following a nationwide Environment Agency investigation that may have links to the Waste4Fuel site in St Paul's Cray.

The Environment Agency probe relates to the illegal dumping of potentially hazardous waste at illegal waste sites in Bristol, Scunthorpe and Newark in Nottinghamshire.

However it is also looking at links to the abandoned site in Cornwall Drive.

Four people were arrested for suspected waste offences and two for suspected human trafficking.

More than 40 Environment Agency investigators swooped on suspects home addresses and the sites as part of Operation Encore.

Police from Humberside, Nottinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire were deployed to support with arrests, access properties and assist with collecting evidence.

The UK Borders Agency and social services were also involved due to a suspected number of illegal workers at the sites.

The six people arrested have all been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries.

The investigation is ongoing and expected to take many more months to complete.

Andy Higham, head of the Environment Agency’s national investigation team, said: "The Environment Agency will relentlessly target organised criminals who risk damaging health, livelihoods and the environment by trading in illegal and hazardous waste for criminal gain.

"Following a covert Environment Agency investigation we have worked with the police to arrest these suspects and secure evidence.

"Our enquiries will continue to probe the full extent of suspected offending.

"We take waste crime extremely seriously. This is a live and complex investigation, anyone with further information should contact crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."