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Two individuals have been arrested as part of an probe into the tipping of many thousands of metric tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the massive mound of waste deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions follow a recent investigation which uncovered the operation of in excess of 500 unlawful tips in England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environmental agency stated that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial offences and constituted a "crucial step" in active inquiries. The two individuals have been set free on bail.

Scale of the Situation

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

This mound of garbage is composed of what appears to be treated household refuse, fragmented plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tires and various everyday items.

It represents just one of 517 unlawful sites across England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold more than 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such larger sites is probably to be larger, as the environment agency has in the past stated it does not maintain data on tonnage for all illegal tip.

The majority such locations are in countryside locations, frequently concealed, and on land that is zoned as agricultural land.

Organized Operations

Authorities say a significant number are run by criminal organizations, who are generating money by demanding far less than licensed companies to take and landfill waste.

Companies have to incur disposal fees to use licensed disposal sites, contingent on the amount and category of waste they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Initial work to clear the Kidlington area dump commenced in recent weeks amid fears over the potential of combustion and the effect that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A contracted clean-up firm has been granted the contract to remediate the area over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance official for the national environmental crime team said that the body would be aiming to recoup the remediation funds under proceeds of crime legislation from any party convicted at the termination of its ongoing inquiry.

She added that these apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and allow officials to "investigate more avenues to determine exactly what happened and who was involved".

"The unlawful dump at the site was an shocking and calculated attack on our ecology and the authorities understand the community's anger at this egregious offence," she stated.

A government minister praised the arrests, commenting: "This unauthorized deposit of garbage at Kidlington is disgraceful and has caused considerable harm to the ecology and anguish to the nearby residents.

"The administration is committed to stamping out this category of illegal activity in the nation, by boosting funds to address waste crime, recruiting more officers and enacting stricter checks and penalties for those who violate the law."

The apprehensions were executed 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 Guildford region in November. He was set free subject to additional investigations.