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A pair of individuals have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the dumping of many thousands of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in relation with the enormous pile of rubbish tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions come after a prior revelation which revealed the existence of more than 500 unauthorized sites in England, featuring at least 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environment authorities said that the apprehensions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime crimes and constituted a "key step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been released on conditional release.

Scale of the Problem

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to hold approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of waste is composed of what appears to be processed residential waste, chopped up plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and various household articles.

It represents just one of 517 unauthorized tips across the country, at minimum 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total number of such major sites is probably to be higher, as the regulatory agency has earlier stated it does not maintain information on volume for all unlawful dump.

The majority such locations are in countryside settings, typically hidden, and on land that is intended to be farm land.

Organised Enterprise

Law enforcement say a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are making profit by asking for far less than legitimate companies to receive and dispose of rubbish.

Companies have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate disposal sites, contingent on the quantity and type of waste they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Frustration

Preparatory work to clean up the Kidlington area location started in recent weeks amid fears over the potential of blaze and the impact that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A commercial waste clearance company has been awarded the job to deal with the site over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the government environmental crime unit commented that the authority would be looking to claim back the clean-up costs under confiscation acts from any party found guilty at the end of its ongoing case.

She further stated that this week's apprehensions would help "drive the probe forward" and enable the agency to "investigate more avenues to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This unauthorized tip at this location was an appalling and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and officials understand the community's frustration at this horrific crime," she said.

A cabinet representative supported the actions, commenting: "The unauthorized tipping of rubbish at the site is utterly appalling and has caused substantial damage to the ecology and distress to the nearby residents.

"The government is committed to eliminating this kind of illegal activity in the nation, by boosting funds to combat illegal dumping, hiring more officers and enacting tougher controls and fines for those who flout the rules."

The apprehensions were made on Thursday by officers from a dedicated serious crime team and follow an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in last November. He was set free pending further investigations.