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Waste criminals have deposited a mountain of rubbish in a open space in Oxfordshire.

The "ecological disaster occurring in plain sight" is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

The enormous heap has appeared in a open area next to the River Cherwell near Kidlington.

A local MP brought up the problem in parliament, stating it was "posing risk of an environmental disaster".

An environmental charity reported the unlawful garbage pile was created around a few weeks back by an illegal operation.

"This constitutes an environmental catastrophe taking place in plain sight.

"Every day that goes by increases the risk of toxic drainage reaching the waterways, polluting wildlife and threatening the condition of the complete watershed.

"The Environment Agency must act immediately, not in extended periods, which is their usual action timeframe."

Legal prohibition had been implemented by the regulatory body.

It is challenging to distinguish any particular items of rubbish as it appears to have been pulverized with earth mixed in.

A portion of the rubbish from the uppermost part of the pile has toppled and is now merely five meters from the stream.

The River Cherwell is a tributary of the River Thames, which indicates it travels through Oxford before meeting the Thames.

The representative petitioned the government for support to eliminate the unauthorized dump before it caused a blaze or was carried into the aquatic system.

Informing elected representatives on this week, he stated: "Illegal operators have dumped a huge quantity of unauthorized polymer rubbish... amounting to substantial weight, in my district on a riverside area adjacent to the River Cherwell.

"Water heights are rising and heatmaps demonstrate that the rubbish is also heating up, raising the threat of combustion.

"The Environment Agency said it has limited resources for regulation, that the projected expense of removal is higher than the complete twelve-month budget of the regional government."

Government official said the government had taken over a failing waste industry that had caused an "widespread problem of unlawful waste disposal".

She informed representatives the organization had issued a access ban to prevent more access to the site.

In a statement, the organization confirmed it was examining the situation and asked for information.

It commented: "We share the citizens' frustration about occurrences like this, which is why we take action against those responsible for waste crime."

A recent report determined attempts to combat major waste crime have been "severely under-prioritised" even though the problem developing into more extensive and more advanced.

A parliamentary committee suggested an independent "comprehensive" inquiry into how "widespread" waste crime is tackled.