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Two men have been arrested as a component of an probe into the tipping of thousands of tonnes of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the massive mound of garbage dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions come after a recent investigation which exposed the existence of in excess of 500 unauthorized dumps across England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory body said that the detentions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime offences and constituted a "vital step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been let go on bail.

Size of the Problem

The illegal site in Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to house around 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is composed of what looks to be treated residential rubbish, shredded plastic items, polystyrene, automobile tires and other everyday articles.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unauthorized dumps throughout the country, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tons of waste. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The total figure of such bigger sites is likely to be larger, as the environmental body has previously stated it does not possess information on weight for each unlawful dump.

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

Criminal Operations

Law enforcement state many are run by organized crime groups, who are making profit by demanding far less than lawful companies to take and landfill rubbish.

Businesses have to incur disposal fees to use legitimate disposal sites, based on the amount and nature of material they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Outrage

Initial efforts to clean up the affected location started in recent weeks following concerns over the potential of blaze and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.

A commercial waste clearance company has been granted the task to remediate the area over the next 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the government environmental crime team said that the body would be aiming to recover the clearance funds under proceeds of crime legislation from any individual ultimately found guilty at the termination of its active investigation.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "move the inquiry forward" and enable authorities to "investigate more avenues to understand in detail what occurred and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized dump at the site was an shocking and deliberate assault on our environment and the authorities empathize with the public's frustration at this horrific crime," she remarked.

A senior minister welcomed the actions, adding: "The illegal tipping of garbage at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in substantial detriment to the natural world and distress to the surrounding residents.

"The authorities is dedicated to eradicating this type of illegal activity across the nation, by increasing financing to tackle waste crime, recruiting more staff and introducing more severe measures and fines for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were made on a recent Thursday by officers from a specialist crime unit and are in addition to an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in the autumn. He was released pending additional investigations.