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A pair of individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into the tipping of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in relation with the huge heap of rubbish tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests follow a previous report which exposed the existence of over 500 unauthorized tips across England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environmental body said that the detentions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and constituted a "key step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been let go on bail.

Scale of the Issue

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

This mound of garbage is composed of what looks to be treated domestic refuse, shredded plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tires and various domestic articles.

It is just one of 517 unauthorized sites across the country, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of garbage. These include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The total amount of such major dumps is expected to be higher, as the environment agency has previously indicated it does not possess information on tonnage for all unlawful tip.

Most sites are in rural settings, often out of sight, and on land that is zoned as farm land.

Organised Enterprise

Authorities say a significant number are managed by criminal organizations, who are generating cash by demanding much less than lawful firms to receive and landfill waste.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use licensed landfill sites, depending on the quantity and type of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Frustration

Preparatory efforts to remove the Kidlington site began recently due to worries over the risk of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby A-road.

A commercial clean-up contractor has been awarded the task to handle the location over the next 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the government environmental crime team commented that the authority would be seeking to claim back the clearance expenses under asset recovery laws from any individual successfully prosecuted at the end of its ongoing investigation.

She added that these arrests would help "move the investigation forward" and allow officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to ascertain in detail what happened and who was a party to it".

"The illegal dump at this location was an appalling and calculated affront on our ecology and the authorities empathize with the local anger at this terrible crime," she remarked.

A cabinet representative supported the actions, stating: "This illegal tipping of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has resulted in considerable detriment to the natural world and anguish to the surrounding residents.

"Our government is pledged to eliminating this category of illegal activity throughout the UK, by augmenting financing to combat illegal dumping, hiring more personnel and introducing stricter measures and penalties for those who flout the law."

The apprehensions were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a regional crime unit and follow an prior apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was let go pending further investigations.