An illegal dump outside L'Derry described as an "environmental wreck" has sparked a call for greater environmental protection across Northern Ireland.

The infrastructure committee met yesterday, 26 February, where the issue of the Mobuoy dump was brought up.

Shedding more light on the issue, Sinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson said: "The 2013 Mills Review that looked into the causes of Mobuoy dump identified planning failures and oversights as a crucial factor that led to such large scale criminal dumping and environmental crime.

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"A firm involved in the Mobuoy case commenced quarrying work without planning permission, knowing that they could successfully apply for retrospective planning permission. 

"This allowed the dump site to expand massively as they were filling quarries with illegal waste.

"This considered as creating conditions that were exploited for eco-crime."

The Department for Infrastructure has since pledged to produce guidance this summer on how to deal with retrospective minerals applications, in an effort to strengthen environmental protection on this issue.

(CM/MH)