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Two individuals have been arrested as part of an inquiry into the tipping of many thousands of tons of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in relation with the huge pile of waste dumped near Kidlington.

These detentions follow a recent report which revealed the existence of in excess of 500 unauthorized sites throughout the country of England, including at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the environmental authorities stated that the detentions were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and constituted a "crucial step" in active inquiries. The two individuals have been let go on bail.

Scale of the Issue

The dump in near Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to hold about 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of rubbish is made up of what appears to be sorted household rubbish, chopped up plastic items, polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday items.

It is just one example of 517 unlawful dumps across the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 metric tons of waste. They encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The total figure of such major sites is probably to be greater, as the environment authority has in the past acknowledged it does not possess information on weight for every illegal tip.

Most these sites are in agricultural settings, frequently out of sight, and on land that is zoned as farm land.

Criminal Enterprise

Law enforcement say a significant number are operated by organized crime groups, who are earning profit by charging far less than legitimate operators to receive and landfill garbage.

Companies have to pay site fees to use lawful disposal sites, based on the amount and nature of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Community Frustration

Initial work to remove the affected location commenced recently amid worries over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the nearby major road.

A private waste clearance company has been awarded the contract to deal with the area over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the country's environmental crime team said that the agency would be aiming to recover the clearance costs under confiscation laws from any party ultimately prosecuted at the end of its ongoing investigation.

She further stated that these detentions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "follow more avenues to determine precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"This illegal dump at Kidlington was an shocking and intentional assault on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the public's outrage at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A government minister praised the arrests, commenting: "The unlawful dumping of rubbish at this location is appalling and has resulted in significant damage to the ecology and distress to the local residents.

"Our government is pledged to stamping out this type of illegal activity in the UK, by increasing funds to tackle waste crime, hiring more staff and enacting tougher checks and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The detentions were executed on a recent Thursday by agents from a specialist organised crime team and come after an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was let go awaiting additional enquiries.