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Two men have been arrested as a component of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tons of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in association with the huge heap of waste deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests follow a previous investigation which revealed the presence of in excess of 500 illegal sites across England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environmental authorities stated that the detentions were for environment-related and financial offences and represented a "crucial step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been let go on conditional release.

Size of the Issue

The illegal site in near Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is thought to hold about 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of waste is consists of what seems to be treated domestic refuse, shredded plastic materials, Styrofoam, tires and various domestic objects.

It is just one of 517 illegal dumps throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. They encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total amount of such major locations is likely to be larger, as the regulatory authority has previously indicated it does not hold data on tonnage for all unauthorized dump.

Most these sites are in agricultural settings, frequently concealed, and on land that should be arable land.

Organized Operations

Police report a significant number are managed by organised crime gangs, who are generating cash by demanding significantly less than lawful operators to take and bury garbage.

Firms have to be liable for disposal fees to use legitimate disposal sites, contingent on the quantity and type of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Community Outrage

Initial efforts to clean up the Kidlington site began earlier this month amid concerns over the potential of combustion and the effect that would have on the close-by A-road.

A commercial waste removal firm has been awarded the task to deal with the site over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the national regulatory division stated that the body would be seeking to recoup the remediation costs under confiscation acts from any individual prosecuted at the termination of its current case.

She noted that the recent detentions would help "move the investigation forward" and permit authorities to "investigate more leads to understand precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"The unlawful dump at Kidlington was an appalling and deliberate affront on our natural surroundings and we share the community's frustration at this horrific act," she stated.

A cabinet minister supported the actions, stating: "This illegal tipping of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has caused considerable damage to the natural world and distress to the surrounding population.

"Our government is dedicated to stamping out this category of crime in the nation, by boosting funds to combat waste crime, hiring more officers and enacting stricter controls and penalties for those who break the regulations."

The detentions were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist serious crime team and come after an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in November. He was released awaiting additional enquiries.