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Two individuals have been arrested as an element of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of rubbish in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the massive mound of rubbish dumped near Kidlington.

These arrests come after a previous investigation which exposed the operation of more than 500 illegal dumps across England, featuring at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the environmental body stated that the apprehensions were for ecological and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "key step" in ongoing inquiries. The apprehended men have been set free on bail.

Size of the Issue

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to contain around 21,000 tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is made up of what appears to be treated domestic refuse, shredded plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and assorted household items.

It constitutes just one of 517 unauthorized dumps throughout England, at least 11 of which contain more than 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 overall number of such larger locations is expected to be greater, as the environment body has in the past stated it does not maintain data on tonnage for all unlawful site.

A large proportion of sites are in rural locations, typically concealed, and on land that is zoned as agricultural ground.

Organized Activity

Authorities say numerous are operated by organized crime groups, who are making money by charging far less than lawful operators to receive and landfill waste.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, contingent on the amount and nature of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Local Outrage

Preparatory efforts to clean up the Kidlington area dump started recently amid worries over the risk of blaze and the consequences that would have on the nearby highway.

A commercial waste clearance company has been granted the task to remediate the location over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's environmental crime division said that the body would be aiming to recover the clearance expenses under asset recovery laws from any party successfully convicted at the termination of its ongoing case.

She further stated that the recent arrests would help "move the probe forward" and allow authorities to "follow more avenues to ascertain precisely what occurred and who was a party to it".

"This unauthorized dump at the site was an atrocious and deliberate assault on our ecology and officials understand the local outrage at this terrible crime," she stated.

A senior minister praised the actions, commenting: "The illegal tipping of waste at this location is appalling and has caused substantial damage to the natural world and upset to the surrounding population.

"Our government is dedicated to stamping out this kind of criminality throughout the nation, by boosting resources to tackle waste crime, recruiting more officers and introducing stricter measures and fines for those who flout the regulations."

The apprehensions were executed on Thursday by personnel from a specialist crime squad and come after an previous detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was released subject to further investigations.