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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an probe into the dumping of many thousands of tonnes of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in the town of Slough in association with the massive pile of garbage dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions occur a week after a recent revelation which exposed the presence of over 500 unlawful dumps in the country of England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment body commented that the arrests were for ecological and money laundering offences and represented a "vital step" in continuing investigations. The two individuals have been let go on bail.

Size of the Issue

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34, is believed to house approximately 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of rubbish is made up of what appears to be processed household rubbish, shredded plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday objects.

It is just one of 517 illegal sites across the country, at a minimum of 11 of which contain over 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. They include a 280,000-tonne area 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 amount of such bigger locations is likely to be higher, as the environmental authority has earlier acknowledged it does not maintain information on volume for each unlawful dump.

A large proportion of sites are in agricultural settings, frequently hidden, and on land that should be arable ground.

Criminal Activity

Law enforcement say numerous are run by organised crime gangs, who are earning cash by asking for far less than lawful companies to take and bury garbage.

Businesses have to pay disposal fees to use legitimate disposal sites, contingent on the volume and type of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Local Frustration

Preparatory operations to remove the Kidlington area site started in recent weeks due to concerns over the threat of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A commercial waste removal company has been given the job to deal with the area over the coming 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the government environment division commented that the agency would be aiming to recover the clean-up costs under confiscation legislation from any individual prosecuted at the termination of its ongoing case.

She further stated that these arrests would help "move the inquiry forward" and allow the agency to "follow more lines of inquiry to ascertain exactly what happened and who was involved".

"This illegal tip at the site was an atrocious and calculated attack on our ecology and we share the public's frustration at this terrible crime," she stated.

A senior minister supported the actions, stating: "The unauthorized deposit of waste at the site is appalling and has caused substantial detriment to the environment and upset to the surrounding population.

"The government is dedicated to eliminating this type of crime throughout the country, by boosting funds to combat illegal dumping, employing more personnel and enacting more severe measures and fines for those who flout the law."

The apprehensions were carried out on the specified day by personnel from a specialist crime team and are in addition to an prior apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in November. He was set free pending additional enquiries.