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

Law enforcement indicated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in relation with the huge heap of rubbish dumped near Kidlington.

These detentions follow a recent investigation which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 illegal tips across England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory agency commented that the detentions were for environmental and financial offences and represented a "key step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Size of the Problem

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34, is thought to house around 21,000 tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is consists of what appears to be treated residential waste, chopped up plastic items, Styrofoam, tyres and other domestic objects.

It represents just one of 517 unlawful sites in England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 metric tons of waste. They feature a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The overall amount of such major sites is likely to be higher, as the regulatory agency has in the past acknowledged it does not possess records on volume for each illegal tip.

A large proportion of such locations are in countryside areas, typically out of sight, and on land that is zoned as arable land.

Organised Operations

Authorities report a significant number are operated by criminal organizations, who are making profit by charging far less than licensed companies to receive and dispose of garbage.

Firms have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, contingent on the quantity and category of waste they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Outrage

Preparation efforts to remove the affected dump commenced earlier this month following worries over the risk of combustion and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted waste removal contractor has been granted the job to remediate the location over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's regulatory unit commented that the agency would be aiming to recoup the clearance expenses under confiscation legislation from anyone prosecuted at the end of its current investigation.

She further stated that these apprehensions would help "push the probe forward" and enable authorities to "follow more avenues to ascertain exactly what happened and who was implicated".

"The illegal dump at this location was an atrocious and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the public's outrage at this terrible crime," she said.

A senior official supported the actions, commenting: "The unauthorized dumping of rubbish at the site is utterly appalling and has resulted in substantial damage to the natural world and anguish to the nearby population.

"The government is committed to eliminating this type of illegal activity across the UK, by boosting funds to address waste crime, employing more staff and introducing stricter measures and sanctions for those who break the law."

The detentions were made on the specified day by agents from a dedicated organised crime unit and come after an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in last November. He was released awaiting further investigations.