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Two individuals have been detained as a component of an probe into the tipping of many thousands of metric tons of waste in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in the town of Slough in connection with the huge mound of rubbish deposited near Kidlington.

These detentions occur a week after a recent revelation which revealed the existence of over 500 unauthorized sites across the country of England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the regulatory agency commented that the apprehensions were for environmental and financial offences and represented a "key step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been set free on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is thought to contain about 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of rubbish is composed of what looks to be processed domestic waste, chopped up plastics, polystyrene, tyres and assorted household items.

It is just one of 517 illegal tips across England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These include a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The total figure of such larger dumps is likely to be greater, as the environmental authority has previously indicated it does not hold records on volume for all illegal dump.

Most sites are in rural locations, often concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm land.

Organised Operations

Police say a significant number are managed by organized crime groups, who are making cash by charging significantly less than licensed firms to accept and landfill garbage.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use licensed landfill sites, based on the volume and category of waste they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Frustration

Preparation efforts to clean up the Kidlington area location commenced earlier this month due to fears over the potential of combustion and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted waste clearance contractor has been awarded the job to remediate the area over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the country's environment unit commented that the authority would be aiming to recoup the remediation funds under asset recovery legislation from any party prosecuted at the end of its active case.

She noted that these detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow officials to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain in detail what occurred and who was involved".

"This unlawful tip at the site was an atrocious and calculated attack on our natural surroundings and the authorities share the public's outrage at this horrific crime," she stated.

A cabinet official praised the arrests, commenting: "This unauthorized deposit of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has resulted in significant damage to the natural world and anguish to the surrounding population.

"The government is dedicated to stamping out this category of crime across the nation, by increasing resources to address environmental crime, recruiting more officers and implementing tougher measures and penalties for those who flout the rules."

The detentions were made on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist crime team and follow an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in last November. He was set free awaiting additional inquiries.