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A pair of individuals have been arrested as a component of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of metric tons of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in Slough in association with the massive heap of rubbish deposited near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a prior report which revealed the presence of over 500 unauthorized sites throughout England, including at least 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environment authorities stated that the detentions were for environmental and financial offences and were a "key step" in ongoing probes. The apprehended men have been released on bail.

Size of the Problem

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34, is believed to contain around 21,000 tons of rubbish in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of garbage is composed of what appears to be sorted residential waste, fragmented plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and various household articles.

It represents just one example of 517 illegal sites in England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 metric tons of waste. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual number of such larger sites is probably to be larger, as the environment agency has earlier acknowledged it does not maintain records on volume for every unauthorized tip.

The majority such locations are in rural settings, frequently hidden, and on land that is intended to be arable ground.

Organised Enterprise

Police say a significant number are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning profit by asking for far less than lawful operators to receive and dispose of waste.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use lawful landfill sites, contingent on the quantity and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Local Anger

Preparatory work to clean up the Kidlington area location commenced in recent weeks following fears over the risk of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent highway.

A commercial waste removal firm has been awarded the task to handle the site over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the national environmental crime unit commented that the authority would be seeking to claim back the clearance funds under proceeds of crime laws from any party successfully convicted at the conclusion of its current inquiry.

She noted that this week's arrests would help "move the investigation forward" and enable the agency to "pursue more avenues to ascertain exactly what happened and who was implicated".

"This unauthorized tip at this location was an appalling and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and the authorities empathize with the public's anger at this horrific offence," she remarked.

A cabinet representative welcomed the arrests, commenting: "This unlawful deposit of garbage at Kidlington is disgraceful and has led to significant harm to the natural world and distress to the surrounding population.

"The administration is committed to eliminating this type of crime throughout the country, by augmenting resources to tackle waste crime, recruiting more personnel and implementing more severe checks and sanctions for those who break the law."

The apprehensions were carried out on Thursday by personnel from a dedicated serious crime unit and come after an prior arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in last November. He was released subject to additional enquiries.