A SPECIAL school for children with severe learning needs has been landed with a £5,000 clean-up bill after thousands of tons of industrial landfill waste was dumped in its grounds.

Staff arrived at Kingfisher school in Foxdenton Lane, Chadderton following the Easter break to find the mountain of rubble had been deposited at back of the school.

Gates leading into its playing field had been forced open before what appears to have been environmentally processed waste – only suitable for an industrial tip – had been left.

It is believed to be the latest in a spate of major fly tipping episodes in Greater Manchester by an organised gang currently under investigation by the Environment Agency and the police.

The school’s business and marketing director Michael Unsworth said that “by pure fluke” the police might have already identified the offender.

“The police have told me that one of the officers responsible for commercial vehicles in the local area was out in his private vehicle on Sunday afternoon, when a wagon past him on the motorway,” said Mr Unsworth.

“It looked suspicious, the officer came off near Chadderton and called the local police who have video surveillance on their vehicles.

“The driver of the truck was filmed halfway through unloading the waste at the school and was apprehended.”

A man appeared in Tameside Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with motoring offences.

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said the contents of the waste which had been dumped was still being investigated prior to any further charges being brought.

Mr Unsworth went on: “That the police were able to do this was down to smart thinking by the off-duty officer, but it was also a pure fluke that he was around when this was going on.

“It could’ve been far, far worse. We believe there would’ve been a lot more waste dumped there if he not been caught in the act.”

However, regardless of the success of the police operation, the school has still been left with a clean-up bill which Mr Unsworth has been told could top £5,000.

“It’s going to cost a lot of money to clean it up. It will need contractors with special equipment to remove it and take it to a safe place.

“Sadly, that means we have a lot less money to spend on equipment for our children many of whom have complex and severe learning needs.

“We can only hope that the public and business community in Oldham come forward with their customary generosity to help us out with donations.”

Kingfisher is a school for primary aged children. All its children have either Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan.

It is funded to provide 160 places in total for pupils over the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2 years (YN – Y6).