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Two individuals have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tons of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was arrested in Slough in relation with the enormous heap of rubbish dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests follow a recent report which revealed the existence of more than 500 unlawful dumps throughout England, including at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environmental body commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial violations and were a "vital step" in active inquiries. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, located between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to house around 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of rubbish is consists of what seems to be treated residential refuse, shredded plastics, polystyrene, tires and various household items.

It is just one of 517 illegal dumps in the country, at least 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tons of waste. These feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The total number of such larger locations is likely to be greater, as the regulatory body has in the past acknowledged it does not possess records on volume for all illegal tip.

A large proportion of sites are in rural locations, typically hidden, and on land that is intended to be farm property.

Organised Enterprise

Law enforcement state a significant number are operated by criminal organizations, who are generating money by charging much less than lawful companies to accept and dispose of garbage.

Businesses have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, contingent on the quantity and category of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Anger

Initial efforts to clear the Kidlington dump commenced earlier this month following concerns over the risk of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby major road.

A commercial waste clearance contractor has been given the contract to handle the area over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the national environmental crime division stated that the authority would be looking to claim back the remediation costs under confiscation legislation from anyone successfully convicted at the conclusion of its current inquiry.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "move the investigation forward" and permit authorities to "pursue more leads to understand exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This illegal dump at this location was an atrocious and deliberate attack on our ecology and the authorities understand the community's outrage at this horrific crime," she said.

A senior representative supported the arrests, adding: "The illegal dumping of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has led to substantial harm to the natural world and anguish to the surrounding residents.

"Our administration is committed to stamping out this type of criminality in the UK, by increasing funds to address illegal dumping, recruiting more officers and implementing tougher measures and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The apprehensions were made on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated serious crime unit and follow an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in last November. He was released awaiting more enquiries.