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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an investigation into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tonnes of waste in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in association with the enormous pile of rubbish tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a prior investigation which exposed the presence of over 500 unauthorized tips in England, including at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory agency commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "vital step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been set free on conditional release.

Size of the Problem

The dump in the Kidlington area, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to contain about 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of garbage is composed of what appears to be sorted household refuse, shredded plastic items, polystyrene, automobile tires and other domestic objects.

It represents just a single of 517 unauthorized sites in England, at minimum 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tons of waste. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual figure of such bigger sites is expected to be higher, as the environmental authority has earlier indicated it does not maintain information on volume for all unlawful dump.

The majority these sites are in rural locations, often concealed, and on land that is intended to be agricultural property.

Organised Operations

Authorities report a significant number are run by criminal organizations, who are generating cash by demanding far less than legitimate firms to accept and bury garbage.

Firms have to pay disposal fees to use lawful landfill sites, contingent on the quantity and category of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Local Frustration

Preparation operations to clear the Kidlington location started in recent weeks following fears over the potential of combustion and the consequences that would have on the nearby major road.

A private waste clearance company has been awarded the job to deal with the site over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the government environmental crime division commented that the body would be aiming to recoup the remediation costs under asset recovery acts from any individual ultimately found guilty at the end of its current investigation.

She noted that these apprehensions would help "drive the investigation forward" and allow the agency to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"This unlawful site at the site was an atrocious and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and the authorities understand the public's frustration at this terrible crime," she remarked.

A government official praised the actions, stating: "This illegal dumping of garbage at the site is disgraceful and has led to substantial damage to the natural world and anguish to the surrounding population.

"The administration is committed to eradicating this type of illegal activity in the country, by increasing funds to combat illegal dumping, hiring more staff and enacting stricter measures and fines for those who violate the regulations."

The detentions were carried out on the specified day by officers from a specialist organised crime unit and come after an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in the autumn. He was set free pending further enquiries.