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A pair of individuals have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the illegal deposit of many thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a man in his late sixties was detained at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the massive mound of rubbish deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions come after a prior report which revealed the presence of over 500 unauthorized tips in England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environmental body commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "crucial step" in active investigations. Both men have been released on bail.

Scale of the Situation

The dump in the Kidlington area, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is thought to hold about 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of rubbish is composed of what seems to be treated household waste, shredded plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and assorted everyday items.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unauthorized tips in England, at least 11 of which contain over 20,000 tons of waste. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual figure of such larger locations is likely to be larger, as the regulatory body has previously stated it does not maintain information on tonnage for each illegal dump.

The majority such locations are in countryside settings, frequently hidden, and on land that is zoned as farm ground.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement state many are run by organized crime groups, who are making money by demanding significantly less than legitimate operators to take and bury rubbish.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, based on the volume and type of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Anger

Initial operations to remove the affected site began in recent weeks amid concerns over the risk of fire and the impact that would have on the close-by major road.

A private waste removal contractor has been given the contract to handle the area over the following 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the government environmental crime division commented that the agency would be seeking to claim back the clearance funds under asset recovery legislation from any party found guilty at the end of its current investigation.

She further stated that the recent detentions would help "move the probe forward" and allow authorities to "investigate more avenues to ascertain in detail what happened and who was a party to it".

"The unauthorized tip at this location was an atrocious and deliberate assault on our ecology and the authorities share the local outrage at this horrific act," she stated.

A cabinet representative praised the actions, stating: "This unauthorized deposit of garbage at this location is utterly appalling and has led to considerable detriment to the ecology and anguish to the local population.

"The administration is dedicated to eliminating this type of illegal activity in the UK, by increasing financing to tackle waste crime, recruiting more staff and introducing tougher checks and sanctions for those who break the rules."

The arrests were executed on the specified day by personnel from a regional serious crime team and follow an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in last November. He was released awaiting more enquiries.