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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials stated that a man in his late sixties was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in relation with the enormous pile of garbage tipped near Kidlington.

These detentions come after a prior revelation which revealed the existence of more than 500 unlawful tips across England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment authorities said that the apprehensions were for environmental and proceeds of crime violations and were a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been released on bail.

Size of the Problem

The dump in Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold about 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of rubbish is composed of what looks to be processed residential waste, fragmented plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and other everyday articles.

It represents just one example of 517 unlawful dumps throughout the country, at minimum 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 metric tons of garbage. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual number of such bigger dumps is likely to be greater, as the regulatory authority has previously indicated it does not hold information on weight for each illegal site.

A large proportion of such locations are in agricultural locations, typically concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm property.

Organised Operations

Authorities state many are operated by criminal organizations, who are earning profit by demanding much less than licensed operators to accept and dispose of waste.

Businesses have to be liable for site fees to use lawful landfill sites, depending on the quantity and type of waste they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Frustration

Preparation efforts to clean up the affected site began recently due to worries over the risk of combustion and the impact that would have on the close-by major road.

A contracted clean-up company has been given the job to remediate the area over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the government environment division stated that the body would be seeking to claim back the clean-up expenses under asset recovery legislation from any individual successfully prosecuted at the termination of its current case.

She noted that these arrests would help "push the probe forward" and enable the agency to "pursue more lines of inquiry to ascertain in detail what occurred and who was involved".

"The illegal site at the site was an atrocious and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and the authorities understand the community's frustration at this horrific crime," she stated.

A government minister praised the actions, stating: "This illegal deposit of garbage at the site is appalling and has caused significant harm to the environment and distress to the surrounding residents.

"Our government is pledged to stamping out this type of illegal activity throughout the nation, by boosting financing to address waste crime, recruiting more officers and implementing tougher checks and fines for those who violate the law."

The arrests were executed on the specified day by officers from a specialist crime unit and come after an prior apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in November. He was set free pending more investigations.