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Two men have been detained as a component of an inquiry into the tipping of thousands of tons of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in the town of Slough in association with the enormous heap of rubbish tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests follow a recent report which revealed the operation of in excess of 500 unauthorized dumps in England, including at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environment agency commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial offences and represented a "key step" in continuing probes. The two individuals have been let go on bail.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in near Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is estimated to contain about 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of rubbish is made up of what looks to be sorted domestic refuse, fragmented plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tyres and assorted domestic objects.

It represents just one example of 517 unauthorized tips in the country, at a minimum of 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tonnes of waste. These include a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual number of such larger locations is probably to be greater, as the environmental authority has in the past stated it does not maintain records on tonnage for all illegal dump.

A large proportion of these sites are in agricultural settings, often out of sight, and on land that should be agricultural land.

Organised Activity

Authorities state numerous are run by organized crime groups, who are making money by asking for far less than lawful operators to take and dispose of garbage.

Companies have to be liable for disposal fees to use lawful disposal sites, depending on the quantity and category of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Outrage

Preparatory work to remove the affected dump started recently following worries over the risk of fire and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.

A private waste clearance contractor has been awarded the contract to handle the location over the next 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the country's regulatory team commented that the body would be looking to claim back the clean-up funds under proceeds of crime laws from any individual found guilty at the conclusion of its active inquiry.

She noted that this week's arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "follow more leads to determine precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"This unlawful tip at Kidlington was an shocking and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and officials share the community's anger at this terrible crime," she stated.

A government representative supported the detentions, adding: "The unlawful dumping of waste at the site is utterly appalling and has led to substantial harm to the environment and upset to the nearby community.

"The government is pledged to eradicating this type of crime throughout the UK, by boosting funds to address illegal dumping, recruiting more staff and enacting stricter controls and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The apprehensions were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated organised crime squad and are in addition to an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in last November. He was set free subject to more inquiries.