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

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in association with the enormous pile of waste deposited near Kidlington.

These arrests come after a previous revelation which exposed the existence of in excess of 500 unauthorized dumps in the country of England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the regulatory authorities commented that the arrests were for environmental and money laundering crimes and were a "vital step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Issue

The dump in the Kidlington area, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to hold about 21,000 tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is composed of what appears to be treated household refuse, fragmented plastics, Styrofoam, tyres and assorted everyday items.

It is just one example of 517 illegal sites across England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These include a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total number of such major sites is expected to be greater, as the environment agency has in the past acknowledged it does not possess data on tonnage for every illegal tip.

A large proportion of sites are in countryside locations, frequently concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm ground.

Organized Operations

Authorities state a significant number are run by organised crime gangs, who are generating profit by charging significantly less than lawful operators to accept and landfill garbage.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use legitimate disposal sites, contingent on the quantity and nature of material they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Frustration

Preparation operations to clean up the Kidlington dump commenced in recent weeks following fears over the risk of combustion and the impact that would have on the close-by major road.

A commercial waste removal contractor has been granted the contract to handle the area over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's environmental crime team commented that the agency would be looking to recoup the clean-up funds under proceeds of crime acts from anyone found guilty at the end of its active inquiry.

She added that these detentions would help "push the investigation forward" and permit the agency to "investigate more leads to understand precisely what occurred and who was a party to it".

"This illegal tip at this location was an atrocious and intentional affront on our natural surroundings and we share the local anger at this horrific crime," she said.

A cabinet minister welcomed the arrests, stating: "This illegal tipping of garbage at this location is appalling and has caused considerable harm to the natural world and upset to the local population.

"Our authorities is dedicated to eliminating this type of crime throughout the nation, by augmenting resources to address environmental crime, hiring more personnel and enacting tougher measures and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a regional crime squad and are in addition to an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in November. He was released awaiting further investigations.