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Two individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into the tipping of thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the massive heap of waste tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions come after a previous investigation which revealed the existence of more than 500 illegal dumps throughout England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the regulatory agency commented that the detentions were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and constituted a "crucial step" in active inquiries. Both men have been released on conditional release.

Scale of the Situation

The illegal site in near Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34, is estimated to house approximately 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of garbage is composed of what appears to be treated household rubbish, chopped up plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and other everyday objects.

It is just one example of 517 unlawful tips across England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall amount of such bigger dumps is expected to be greater, as the environment body has previously stated it does not possess information on weight for each unauthorized tip.

A large proportion of these sites are in rural areas, frequently hidden, and on land that is intended to be farm ground.

Criminal Operations

Police state numerous are managed by organized crime groups, who are making profit by charging far less than legitimate operators to take and landfill garbage.

Companies have to be liable for disposal fees to use licensed waste facilities, based on the volume and nature of material they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Preparatory operations to clear the affected location started earlier this month following fears over the risk of blaze and the consequences that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A contracted waste clearance contractor has been awarded the contract to handle the location over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the government environmental crime unit said that the authority would be looking to recoup the remediation expenses under proceeds of crime laws from any party successfully convicted at the conclusion of its ongoing case.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "move the probe forward" and allow officials to "follow more leads to understand precisely what transpired and who was involved".

"This unauthorized tip at this location was an appalling and calculated affront on our ecology and we share the local outrage at this terrible act," she stated.

A government representative welcomed the arrests, adding: "This unlawful tipping of waste at this location is appalling and has caused substantial harm to the environment and upset to the surrounding community.

"The administration is pledged to eradicating this type of criminality across the country, by augmenting resources to tackle waste crime, recruiting more officers and implementing more severe controls and sanctions for those who flout the law."

The arrests were made on a recent Thursday by officers from a specialist crime squad and come after an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in last November. He was let go subject to more enquiries.