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A pair of individuals have been arrested as a component of an probe into the tipping of several thousand of tons of refuse in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough, Berkshire in association with the massive heap of rubbish tipped near Kidlington.

These arrests occur a week after a prior revelation which exposed the operation of over 500 illegal sites throughout England, including at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the environment body stated that the apprehensions were for environmental and proceeds of crime crimes and were a "vital step" in active probes. The two individuals have been released on bail.

Scale of the Problem

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to contain around 21,000 tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of rubbish is made up of what seems to be treated residential waste, fragmented plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday articles.

It constitutes just one of 517 illegal dumps throughout England, at least 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tons of garbage. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual amount of such larger locations is probably to be greater, as the regulatory agency has previously indicated it does not hold data on volume for each illegal dump.

Most sites are in countryside areas, often hidden, and on land that should be farm land.

Organised Activity

Police state many are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning money by asking for much less than lawful operators to receive and bury rubbish.

Businesses have to be liable for site fees to use licensed waste facilities, contingent on the amount and nature of material they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Anger

Preparation operations to clear the Kidlington location began in recent weeks following concerns over the potential of combustion and the consequences that would have on the close-by A-road.

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

An investigations manager for the government regulatory division stated that the agency would be looking to recoup the clean-up costs under confiscation legislation from any individual convicted at the conclusion of its ongoing inquiry.

She further stated that this week's detentions would help "move the investigation forward" and permit the agency to "follow more leads to understand exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This unlawful tip at the site was an shocking and intentional affront on our natural surroundings and the authorities understand the public's outrage at this terrible act," she stated.

A senior official welcomed the detentions, commenting: "The unauthorized dumping of waste at Kidlington is appalling and has resulted in significant detriment to the ecology and anguish to the local residents.

"The government is committed to eliminating this type of criminality across the country, by boosting resources to address illegal dumping, hiring more personnel and introducing stricter controls and penalties for those who break the regulations."

The arrests were made on the specified day by personnel from a dedicated serious crime unit and follow an prior detention of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was set free pending further enquiries.