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Two individuals have been detained as an element of an probe into the illegal deposit of many thousands of metric tons of refuse in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in the town of Slough in relation with the massive heap of rubbish deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions follow a previous investigation which revealed the presence of more than 500 unlawful dumps in England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment agency said that the arrests were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and were a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Size of the Situation

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to contain around 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of garbage is composed of what appears to be processed household rubbish, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and other domestic objects.

It constitutes just one example of 517 illegal dumps in England, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 tons of waste. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall number of such larger dumps is probably to be higher, as the regulatory agency has earlier indicated it does not hold records on volume for each unauthorized dump.

The majority these sites are in rural areas, typically out of sight, and on land that is zoned as agricultural property.

Organized Activity

Authorities say a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by asking for significantly less than licensed firms to take and landfill waste.

Businesses have to pay site fees to use legitimate landfill sites, based on the quantity and type of waste they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Outrage

Initial work to remove the Kidlington area dump began earlier this month following fears over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the close-by major road.

A commercial clean-up contractor has been awarded the task to remediate the location over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the national environment unit commented that the authority would be looking to claim back the clean-up expenses under asset recovery laws from any individual found guilty at the end of its active case.

She noted that the recent arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow the agency to "follow more lines of inquiry to determine in detail what transpired and who was involved".

"This illegal dump at this location was an shocking and calculated attack on our natural surroundings and we understand the local frustration at this horrific crime," she stated.

A government minister welcomed the arrests, adding: "This unauthorized dumping of garbage at this location is appalling and has resulted in considerable detriment to the ecology and distress to the surrounding residents.

"The authorities is pledged to eradicating this kind of crime throughout the nation, by boosting financing to tackle environmental crime, recruiting more personnel and implementing tougher measures and penalties for those who violate the rules."

The arrests were made on a recent Thursday by personnel from a dedicated serious crime team and are in addition to an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in last November. He was released awaiting additional investigations.