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A pair of individuals have been detained as an element of an inquiry into the dumping of several thousand of metric tons of waste in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough in association with the massive heap of waste dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions occur a week after a recent revelation which exposed the presence of more than 500 unauthorized tips across England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the regulatory authorities stated that the arrests were for environmental and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "vital step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is estimated to house approximately 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of garbage is composed of what looks to be sorted residential waste, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and other household items.

It is just a single of 517 unlawful tips in the country, at minimum 11 of which hold over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The overall figure of such larger sites is likely to be greater, as the environmental agency has previously indicated it does not hold information on weight for every illegal dump.

A large proportion of sites are in agricultural areas, typically hidden, and on land that is intended to be arable ground.

Organised Operations

Law enforcement say a significant number are run by organized crime groups, who are making cash by asking for significantly less than lawful firms to take and dispose of waste.

Firms have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, based on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Anger

Preparatory operations to clean up the Kidlington area dump began recently due to concerns over the risk of blaze and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.

A contracted waste clearance contractor has been granted the job to remediate the location over the next 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the government environmental crime division stated that the body would be seeking to claim back the clearance costs under asset recovery legislation from anyone successfully convicted at the termination of its active investigation.

She further stated that the recent arrests would help "drive the inquiry forward" and enable authorities to "pursue more avenues to ascertain in detail what happened and who was involved".

"This unauthorized tip at the site was an appalling and deliberate assault on our natural surroundings and officials understand the local frustration at this terrible act," she said.

A senior minister praised the actions, adding: "The unauthorized dumping of rubbish at the site is appalling and has resulted in considerable harm to the natural world and anguish to the nearby community.

"The administration is dedicated to eradicating this type of criminality throughout the country, by increasing funds to address environmental crime, hiring more staff and introducing more severe controls and fines for those who flout the rules."

The arrests were made on Thursday by officers from a regional organised crime unit and are in addition to an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in November. He was released pending further enquiries.