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A pair of individuals have been arrested as a component of an probe into the tipping of many thousands of metric tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in association with the enormous mound of rubbish tipped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions follow a previous report which uncovered the operation of over 500 unauthorized tips throughout the country of England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environmental body said that the detentions were for environment-related and financial crimes and represented a "vital step" in continuing probes. Both men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The tipping ground in Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to hold about 21,000 metric tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of rubbish is composed of what looks to be treated residential refuse, shredded plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted household items.

It constitutes just a single of 517 illegal dumps throughout the country, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual number of such major locations is likely to be larger, as the environment authority has previously indicated it does not possess records on tonnage for each illegal tip.

A large proportion of sites are in agricultural locations, frequently hidden, and on land that should be farm property.

Organized Enterprise

Law enforcement state numerous are operated by organized crime groups, who are earning profit by demanding much less than licensed firms to receive and bury rubbish.

Firms have to incur gate fees to use licensed disposal sites, based on the amount and nature of material they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Local Outrage

Preparation work to remove the Kidlington site began earlier this month amid concerns over the potential of combustion and the consequences that would have on the close-by major road.

A private waste removal contractor has been given the contract to deal with the area over the next 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the national environmental crime division commented that the body would be looking to claim back the remediation costs under proceeds of crime laws from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its current investigation.

She further stated that the recent arrests would help "drive the inquiry forward" and enable authorities to "pursue more avenues to determine in detail what happened and who was involved".

"The illegal site at this location was an atrocious and deliberate assault on our environment and we empathize with the community's anger at this horrific act," she said.

A cabinet minister supported the arrests, adding: "The unauthorized deposit of garbage at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in substantial harm to the environment and upset to the local community.

"Our administration is pledged to eliminating this category of illegal activity throughout the UK, by boosting funds to address environmental crime, hiring more personnel and implementing tougher checks and fines for those who violate the rules."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated serious crime squad and follow an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in November. He was released pending more investigations.