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A pair of individuals have been arrested as an element of an probe into the tipping of several thousand of tons of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in relation with the massive pile of rubbish dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests follow a previous report which revealed the operation of over 500 unauthorized tips across England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the regulatory agency commented that the arrests were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and constituted a "crucial step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The tipping ground in Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to house approximately 21,000 tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is composed of what looks to be treated domestic waste, shredded plastics, Styrofoam, tires and assorted household objects.

It constitutes just a single of 517 illegal sites throughout the country, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of garbage. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall amount of such larger dumps is likely to be higher, as the environment body has in the past indicated it does not possess records on weight for all unauthorized dump.

The majority sites are in agricultural settings, often hidden, and on land that is zoned as agricultural land.

Criminal Enterprise

Police state many are run by criminal organizations, who are making money by demanding significantly less than legitimate companies to receive and landfill rubbish.

Companies have to be liable for disposal fees to use lawful waste facilities, depending on the amount and nature of material they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Frustration

Initial efforts to clear the affected location started recently following fears over the risk of combustion and the impact that would have on the adjacent highway.

A private waste removal contractor has been awarded the contract to handle the area over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's regulatory division commented that the agency would be looking to recover the clean-up costs under proceeds of crime acts from anyone successfully prosecuted at the termination of its ongoing investigation.

She added that this week's detentions would help "move the inquiry forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more lines of inquiry to ascertain exactly what happened and who was involved".

"The unlawful site at this location was an atrocious and intentional assault on our natural surroundings and we empathize with the local outrage at this egregious offence," she stated.

A government representative welcomed the detentions, stating: "The illegal deposit of rubbish at Kidlington is disgraceful and has resulted in considerable detriment to the ecology and upset to the local community.

"The government is pledged to eradicating this type of criminality in the nation, by boosting funds to address environmental crime, recruiting more personnel and introducing tougher measures and fines for those who flout the rules."

The arrests were made on the specified day by officers from a dedicated organised crime squad and follow an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in November. He was let go awaiting additional investigations.