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Two men have been taken into custody as a component of an probe into the illegal deposit of thousands of tonnes of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in association with the massive heap of waste tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests come after a recent report which revealed the presence of in excess of 500 illegal tips throughout England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment agency stated that the apprehensions were for environmental and proceeds of crime violations and constituted a "vital step" in continuing inquiries. The two individuals have been let go on conditional release.

Size of the Issue

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34, is believed to hold approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of waste is consists of what seems to be treated domestic refuse, fragmented plastic items, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted domestic objects.

It is just one example of 517 illegal sites across England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tons of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The total figure of such bigger locations is probably to be higher, as the regulatory agency has previously stated it does not possess data on weight for all unauthorized tip.

The majority these sites are in rural locations, typically hidden, and on land that is zoned as agricultural ground.

Organised Operations

Authorities say a significant number are run by organized crime groups, who are earning cash by charging far less than lawful firms to receive and bury garbage.

Companies have to be liable for gate fees to use legitimate disposal sites, depending on the volume and category of material they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Frustration

Preparatory work to remove the affected dump commenced earlier this month due to concerns over the risk of fire and the effect that would have on the close-by A-road.

A contracted clean-up firm has been awarded the contract to deal with the location over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the national environment unit stated that the agency would be aiming to claim back the clearance expenses under asset recovery legislation from anyone successfully convicted at the end of its active case.

She added that this week's detentions would help "drive the probe forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more avenues to determine exactly what happened and who was implicated".

"The illegal tip at this location was an shocking and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and officials share the local outrage at this terrible act," she remarked.

A government minister supported the detentions, stating: "This unauthorized dumping of garbage at this location is utterly appalling and has caused significant detriment to the environment and upset to the nearby residents.

"The authorities is committed to eliminating this type of criminality across the nation, by augmenting funds to address waste crime, employing more personnel and introducing tougher checks and fines for those who flout the regulations."

The apprehensions were carried out on Thursday by officers from a specialist crime unit and follow an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in November. He was let go awaiting additional inquiries.