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Two individuals have been detained as part of an investigation into the dumping of thousands of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a man in his late sixties was arrested at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the massive pile of waste dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions follow a recent investigation which exposed the presence of more than 500 unlawful sites across England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environment body stated that the apprehensions were for environmental and financial violations and constituted a "key step" in ongoing probes. The apprehended men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Problem

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

This mound of waste is composed of what appears to be treated household waste, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and assorted domestic articles.

It represents just one example of 517 illegal tips across the country, at least 11 of which hold over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. They include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual amount of such bigger locations is expected to be greater, as the environmental authority has in the past indicated it does not maintain information on tonnage for every unlawful tip.

A large proportion of these sites are in agricultural locations, typically concealed, and on land that should be agricultural land.

Organised Operations

Police state many are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning money by asking for significantly less than legitimate firms to receive and landfill rubbish.

Firms have to incur gate fees to use legitimate waste facilities, depending on the quantity and type of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Anger

Preparation operations to remove the Kidlington site started earlier this month amid fears over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the close-by highway.

A contracted waste removal contractor has been granted the contract to remediate the location over the next 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the government environment division said that the agency would be aiming to recoup the clean-up funds under confiscation legislation from anyone prosecuted at the end of its ongoing case.

She further stated that this week's arrests would help "drive the inquiry forward" and allow officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to ascertain precisely what occurred and who was involved".

"The unlawful dump at this location was an atrocious and deliberate attack on our natural surroundings and we understand the public's frustration at this terrible act," she said.

A government official praised the arrests, adding: "This unlawful tipping of waste at the site is utterly appalling and has led to significant harm to the environment and anguish to the local community.

"The government is committed to stamping out this category of criminality in the UK, by augmenting resources to tackle environmental crime, recruiting more staff and implementing more severe controls and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The apprehensions were executed on a recent Thursday by officers from a specialist organised crime team and are in addition to an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was let go awaiting more enquiries.