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A pair of individuals have been detained as an element of an inquiry into the tipping of thousands of tons of waste in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in relation with the enormous mound of garbage deposited near Kidlington.

These arrests come after a previous investigation which uncovered the existence of in excess of 500 unauthorized sites across England, including at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the environmental body said that the apprehensions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime crimes and constituted a "key step" in continuing investigations. The apprehended men have been set free on bail.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to contain about 21,000 tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of waste is composed of what seems to be sorted household waste, shredded plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and various everyday items.

It represents just one example of 517 unauthorized sites throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tons of rubbish. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall number of such bigger locations is likely to be greater, as the regulatory body has previously indicated it does not maintain data on tonnage for all unlawful tip.

A large proportion of such locations are in rural locations, frequently hidden, and on land that should be agricultural property.

Criminal Operations

Law enforcement report many are run by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by asking for far less than lawful firms to take and dispose of rubbish.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use lawful landfill sites, based on the volume and type of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Community Anger

Preparation operations to remove the affected site started in recent weeks following worries over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the adjacent highway.

A private clean-up contractor has been granted the contract to remediate the area over the following 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's environment team commented that the agency would be looking to recoup the clean-up funds under confiscation acts from any party ultimately prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing case.

She noted that this week's arrests would help "drive the investigation forward" and permit officials to "pursue more leads to determine precisely what transpired and who was a party to it".

"The illegal tip at this location was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our ecology and we understand the community's frustration at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A senior minister supported the actions, stating: "This illegal dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has led to substantial damage to the environment and upset to the surrounding community.

"Our authorities is pledged to eliminating this category of crime across the nation, by increasing resources to address waste crime, hiring more staff and introducing tougher measures and fines for those who break the law."

The apprehensions were made on Thursday by officers from a dedicated organised crime unit and are in addition to an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was let go subject to additional inquiries.