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Two individuals have been arrested as a component of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in relation with the enormous pile of rubbish deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions come after a recent investigation which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 illegal tips throughout the country of England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment authorities said that the detentions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime offences and were a "vital step" in continuing investigations. The apprehended men have been released on pre-trial release.

Size of the Problem

The illegal site in near Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34, is thought to hold approximately 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of garbage is made up of what seems to be treated domestic refuse, shredded plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and various everyday objects.

It represents just one of 517 illegal dumps throughout the country, at least 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tons of rubbish. They feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual figure of such bigger dumps is probably to be higher, as the regulatory body has previously stated it does not hold records on tonnage for each illegal tip.

Most these sites are in rural settings, typically concealed, and on land that is intended to be arable land.

Organised Activity

Authorities say numerous are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating cash by charging much less than licensed companies to take and landfill waste.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use legitimate disposal sites, contingent on the amount and type of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Local Frustration

Preparation operations to remove the Kidlington site started earlier this month due to concerns over the potential of combustion and the impact that would have on the adjacent highway.

A private waste removal company has been given the job to handle the location over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's regulatory division said that the authority would be seeking to recoup the remediation funds under proceeds of crime acts from any party ultimately prosecuted at the end of its ongoing inquiry.

She noted that this week's arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and permit the agency to "follow more leads to determine in detail what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This unlawful tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate attack on our environment and officials empathize with the local frustration at this horrific crime," she stated.

A cabinet official supported the arrests, adding: "This unauthorized dumping of waste at this location is appalling and has led to considerable detriment to the natural world and distress to the surrounding population.

"Our government is committed to stamping out this category of criminality throughout the country, by augmenting resources to tackle environmental crime, recruiting more officers and implementing more severe checks and fines for those who flout the rules."

The detentions were carried out on Thursday by personnel from a regional crime unit and follow an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in November. He was set free awaiting additional enquiries.